How to Build a Fire
by TohrutheGreat
Summary: Kagome is the new leader of the Miko Scout Troop #15, and things are going great! That is, until the smores get burnt, when Inuyasha, the new leader of the Youkai Scout Troop #50 comes into the picture. It's a battle of boys vs. girls! InuKag MirSan
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha...but I do own this disclaimer...and an old Brownies vest.

Enjoy!

--

'_Ring! Ring!'_

The merciless master that was the alarm clock issued a groan from a pile of green covers. They spit out a rather drunk looking arm, which fiddled around until it found the small, red button that was pressed far too frequently for its owner's liking.

"Ugh…"

Another groan came in muffled tones, before a mountain of raven-colored bed head emerged from dormancy.

Swinging her feet to the side of the bed, she found her slippers; eyes closed. She was rather good at this, after so many self-loathed years.

_'6:30'. Great.'_

It wasn't the earliest she had ever had to arise; why, all throughout high school-what fun-she had awoken none too bright eyed at a crisp hour of 5 in the morning. But, that was what she got for applying to a school half an hour away from her family's shrine.

_'Well, it was a nice school. Not to mention the uniforms were cute…wonder what's for breakfast...how much money's in the retirement fund…eh?'_

Her mind could not choose a topic to stick to at such an ungodly hour, so, she let it wander of its own accord.

She didn't take showers in the morning. This was a scheme of hers to 'conserve lighting' –aka- get an extra half an hour of sleep.

Trudging over to the sink in her none too cheery pink bathroom, she reached for her hair brush. The wood felt good as she wrapped her dazed fingers around it, carefully stroking what her little brother had liked to call, 'the lion's mane.'

When she could see her face through half closed lids in the mirror once again, she sloshed cold water in her face.

After drying it off, she grabbed her toothbrush and cleaned like mad in an effort to get more sleeping time. However, she was unusually slow today, and alas, would receive no such reward.

Opening her closet, she quickly selected a gray suit-and-skirt ensemble, with a light blue undershirt to liven things up…a little bit.

Applying a small amount of make-up, which she hated wearing, and making sure that she looked decent, she shrugged up her bag, and locked the door to her little apartment.

Flying down the stairs after a tragic decision to look at her watch, she almost bumped into her neighbor, Miroku.

"Hey, are you okay Kagome?" he asked, attempting to help her regain her balance.

"Yeah…I'm just not a morning person, that's all. How are you, Miroku?"

"Oh," he looked at his feet, "I'm great. Nothing new. You?"

"About to be docked twenty dollars of my pay check for being late. See you la-,"

His hand was uncomfortably close to her posterior.

"Miroku…how is that…therapist, you're seeing, holding up with you as a patient."

He laughed, taking his hand away.

"Money is money- besides, I don't believe too much in that psychology mumbo-jumbo."

"Uh-huh. Well, I've got to get going. See you later!"

She raced down the stairs, a furious blush on her cheeks.

_'The nerve of him! I try to help him by letting him see my mother at a discount- a discount, for crying out loud!- and he hasn't changed a bit!'_

Starting her car, she drove out of the complex as quickly as she could.

At this rate, they wouldn't pay her at all.

--

"Good morning class!"

"Good morning, Higurashi-sensei!"

Kagome set her bag down, and began to write on the new white-board they had installed in her classroom two years ago.

_**'Do pg. 3 in your math workbooks for practice.'**_

The children groaned a bit, their little third grade bodies quivering with ridiculous amounts of energy.

But, the second she put on that sweet smile of hers, all of the children set to work, their sole goal in life to impress her.

Turning back to the white board, she added something beneath her previous instructions.

_**'When you are done, come see me to check your answers. If you get a one hundred on your first try, I'll give you whichever sticker you want.'**_

Kagome was renowned as a teacher by her students for her collection of interesting and adorable stickers; and it was as good as gold to the boys and girls, demons and humans, who were scribbling away in an effort to claim their favorite ones.

Sitting down at the desk, she flipped through the science textbook, wondering how much homework to give for the night.

The first one to be done was Hitomi, of course, the smartest little girl in the class. The teacher scanned through the work, and when she was satisfied that her student was correct, she opened her drawer, and drew out a big, red box.

Undoing the latch, with a special key, she opened it, and allowed the mesmerized girl to take a peak inside the fabled treasure chest.

"When you see the one that you want, take it, and return to your seat."

Hitomi stood there for a few moments, contemplating on the most difficult choice: a pretty purple unicorn, or a bunny rabbit with soft, white fur.

In the end, the rabbit's natural charm prevailed, and she returned satisfied to her desk.

Kagome's eyes sparkled, fondness pouring through the soft brown edges of her sight. This was why she enjoyed being a teacher.

--

When the school bell rang, and she had dismissed her class, Kagome began to clean off the white-board, and wrote new words upon it.

**_'Welcome, Mikos! Today's Lesson: The Code of Rules.'_**

In addition to being one of the third grade teachers, Kagome also had the pleasure of being the new leader of the Miko Scout Troop #15.

She had been a Miko Scout growing up; and whenever she saw the red caps and vests, her heart fluttered with nostalgia.

Today would be her first day as the troop leader, and she was excited and nervous at the same time. Trying to calm herself down, she failed to notice the first little girl enter the room.

"Excuse me, Ms. Uh…"

"Oh," she turned quickly, embarrassed for not making a very good first impression.

"It's Ms. Higurashi."

"Oh, Ms. Higurashi, that's a very pretty name. Mine is Rin."

The little girl was wearing red shorts, and a little white shirt, indicating that she wished to join the Miko Scouts, as she seemed to be dressed in every bit of matching uniform she could find.

"Hello Rin. I think that's a pretty name, too. Are you here to join the Miko Scouts?"

"Uh-huh! Lord Sesshomaru thinks that it would be good for me to join a group."

The teacher nodded, dismissing the odd reference to 'Lord Sesshomaru', whoever he might be to the young girl.

"Well, he's right! You'll have a lot of fun!"

She looked a bit uneasy now, her foot making circles on the classroom floor.

"What do we do, Ms. Higurashi?"

"Lots of fun things, Rin! Let's see…you can make friends, help people, and learn important things about life and nature, and-,"

"Hey! Is this the Miko Scout room?"

The teacher and the student turned to see a small thunder demon, looking up at them expectantly from the doorway.

"Oh-yes, yes it is!" Kagome responded quickly with a smile.

"My name is Soten. I'd like to join."

"Alright, well then," she fished through her bag, pulling out a clipboard and a stubby purple pencil.

"Here you go! Write your name, class, and phone number in one of those lines." She pointed to the second blank log entry on the piece of paper attached to the writing surface.

Soten held the clipboard in her small hand, and with none-too-little grace, scribbled out her name, and the required information.

When she was finished, she handed it back to Kagome. Her eyes hurt as she tried to decipher the illegible hand-writing that doomed the page.

_'Uh…well…'_

"Here Rin, I'd like you to do the same, please."

As the girl was filling out the first log entry, two more girls entered the room. They were Hitomi, and another girl from Kagome's class named, Satsuki.

After explaining the directions once again, she sat at her desk and fished out her vest and red cap. Putting it over her blue shirt, she felt immense pride well-up inside of her.

_'Just like old times…'_ she reminisced.

Fixing the cap atop her head, she turned to see the admiring eyes of the four little girls.

"You look so pretty, Ms. Higurashi." Rin smiled up at her.

The teacher blushed a bit, flattered and grateful that at least she looked good in uniform.

"Thank you, Rin. And you know what, all of you get uniforms just like it!"

Four pairs of eyes shone despite themselves, thrilled at the prospect of an enforced dress code.

"So, as soon as possible, bring in 1,000 yen and I'll give you each one of your own vests and hats. Now, if you could all take a seat, we'll begin in about twenty minutes."

After about twenty minutes, four more girls had shown up: Koume, a cute little girl with short pigtails, Mayu, another student in Kagome's class, Ai, the youngest girl in the Scouts, and Moegi, a quiet girl who studied in the classroom next door to her own.

Impressed with the turn-out, she went through her bag yet again, preparing to welcome all of the students who had come to join her troop.

"Welcome! My name is Ms. Kagome Higurashi, but you can call me Ms. Kagome or Ms. Higurashi. This is Miko Scout Troop 15, and it's great to see you all here! Have all of you signed the sheet?"

The eight girls nodded in unison, plainly excited at the idea of being Miko Scouts.

"Alright then. I'll begin by telling you all something about myself. Then, I'd like you all to tell me something about yourselves."

Clearing her throat, she began, "My family owns a shrine, I have a little brother named Sota, and I love dogs."

Nodding for the girls to begin, she looked expectantly at Moegi, who was in the front row at the far left of the room, by the door, from Kagome's perspective.

Moegi looked a bit shy, alerting the new troop leader that that might be a skill to work on while she was a part of their group.

"I'm Moegi. I like to read." She spoke quietly.

"Nice to meet you, Moegi. I like reading as well."

The smallest girl, Ai, was next.

"My name is Ai, and I love to swim!"

Kagome smiled at the confident and energetic half-demon. Moegi, also a half-demon, was by tradition, in a bit of a socially awkward position. Being neither human nor demon, they had never been fully accepted by either race. However, there were exceptions to every rule, they were just hard to find sometimes.

That was one of Kagome's goals: to provide a place to be yourself, and to create an accepting and nurturing environment, no matter if you were demon, or human, or half-demon.

"My name is Koume, and I have a cat named Kuroro!"

They continued in a line.

"I'm Mayu, and I like to watch fireworks and go to festivals!"

"My name is Satsuki, and I have a big brother who's in the war!"

"My name is Hitomi, and I have a white rabbit at my house!"

"I'm Soten, and my best friend is a dragon named Koryuu!"

Finally they reached Rin.

"My name is Rin, and I will always be with Lord Sesshomaru!"

The other girls just stared. Rin shrank awkwardly down into her seat, cheeks red.

Kagome felt instant pity. From the looks the little girl had been given, it was apparent that Lord Sesshomaru must be a demon. It was one thing to be a half-demon, but being a human taken care of by a demon was a rarity that was frowned upon.

_'Poor girl…I don't think there's anything wrong in being with a demon. He probably cares for her as much as any human guardian would.'_

"That's very nice, Rin! You should bring in Lord Sesshomaru one day, so that we can meet him!"

Rin perked up, though her answer didn't match her enthusiastic expression.

"That would be great! But he probably won't come."

"Oh," Kagome looked sad. Demons tended to avoid school contact. It was still a new principle to ancient beings such as themselves.

"But I'll ask him anyway!" The little girl smiled with determination.

The other girls did not look at her so strangely, but they made no effort to communicate their agreements either.

"Well, now that we've all met, we'll recite the Miko Scout Promise! Repeat after me," Kagome instructed with as much enthusiasm as she could muster.

"On my honor, I will try:"

"On my honor, I will try:" they repeated.

"To serve Kami, and my country."

"To serve Kami, and my country." They chorused.

"To help humans and demons at all times,"

"To help humans and demons at all times," they echoed.

"And to live by the Miko Scout Law."

"And to live by the Miko Scout Law." They finished.

"Great! Now, we'll recite the Miko Scout Law!"

"Repeat after me," she instructed, right hand in air: pledge stance.

"I will do my best to be:"

"I will do my best to be:"

"Honest and fair,"

"Honest and fair,"

"Friendly and helpful,"

"Friendly and helpful,"

"Considerate and caring,"

"Considerate and caring,"

"Courageous and strong,"

"Courageous and strong,"

"And responsible for what I say and do,"

"And responsible for what I say and do,"

"and to respect myself and others,"

"and to respect myself and others,"

"Respect authority,"

"Respect authority,"

"Use resources wisely,"

"Use resources wisely,"

"Make the world a better place,"

"Make the world a better place,"

"And be a sister to every Miko Scout."

"And be a sister to every Miko Scout."

Kagome's eyes shone.

"Alright! That's it for today! Next week, for our next meeting, I'd like for you to bring the thing that's most important to you to the meeting, okay?"

"Okay!" the girls shouted in unison.

"Great, now your Moms and Dads are waiting for you! Don't forget, if you want a vest and a hat, bring 1,000 yen to the next meeting!"

"Thank you, Ms. Kagome!"

And with that, they were gone.

She smiled, wiping the sweat from her brow.

_'Today's been a great day, huh?'_

--

"So, what do you say? Will you please be the troop leader, since their old one had to retire?"

"Keh. If all I hafta' do is watch a couple of brats, then fine."

Miroku smiled, his heart pitying the Youkai Scouts who were about to follow his best friend's every order.

But in truth, his friend did not even realize what he was getting himself into.

--

So, how was it? Sorry if it's not that great, but I'll work as hard as I can to improve it (maybe I should write while on the treadmill...all this pocky is goin' to my thighs!)

Well, please review, if you would like, and thank you for reading the first chapter! Also, if anyone would like to correct me on any incorrectness (not sure if that's a word) in the story, involving Girl Scouts or Boy Scouts, let me know in a review! I would really appreciate that! I hope you will continue to read this story in the future!

Have a GREAT day!

Byebee:3

TohrutheGreat


	2. Chapter 2: The New Troop Leader

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or pocky. And I don't know how to build a fire. That's bad, isnt' it?

Sorry about the long wait! I'm one of those authors who varies, so I can't say I'm a quick updater or a slow updater. I'm in the middle. Heh.

Enjoy!

--

'_Beep! Beep!'_

Another alarm clock ruined the dreams, and sensitive ears, of a lump of blood red sheets.

'Shaddup, ya' damn-,'

But he had no time to add anything to his current thoughts. Instinct ordered him to arise, and comply with the harsh needs of the master of the undecided fate: to be late or not to be late?

However he could argue, and he could, he needed to agree with the latter.

'Damn alarm! Why the'hell'd someone give me such a pain in the-,' he though, furiously scrubbing his fangs with an underused toothbrush.

'Why do I need to do this anyway?! Just gonna' eat again, then what's all this labor for?!'

He let out a throaty 'keh', before spitting into the sink.

Wiping his mouth clean, he stormed into his bedroom yet again, and threw open the closet doors. It was a wonder the hinges still swung well enough.

Clothes flew out of the tiny space, each one accompanied with a snort of disapproval.

Exiting the claustrophobic's nightmare, he was now wearing a wine red shirt, sleeves rolled up a bit: as much muscle as he could get away with showing. Black pants wrinkled, and belt tied none too carefully, shoes dull in black luster, he grabbed up his disorganized brown messenger bag, grunting a bit as he did so.

'Why do I assign so much crap?! Less work, less to carry!'

Slamming the apartment door shut behind him, he was greeted with the sounds of crying babies, yelling old ladies, and the none-too-pleasing sound of caterwauling from the domesticated animals of the building.

"Serve's em' all right. Keh, I was first here, after all!"

Walking down the flight of long stairs, and going past a minimum of seven floors to the bottom, he saw that the sun hadn't even come up yet.

"SHIT!" he cried, waking every bird in the area.

His hair covered in every color feather, and his ears ringing with the winged rats unmelodic sounds, he balled his fist in rage.

"What the hell, then! I'll just be early!" he growled, trying to convince himself that this would prove he was a better teacher than any of the other mediocre excuses for college graduates.

"Keh!"

He shoved his key into the ignition, claws digging into the steering wheel with an experienced level of impatience.

Two minutes later, the car had started.

"Damn you, piece a' junk, Tessaiga!!"

That was his name for the car: Tessaiga. He hadn't chosen it, of course. It had once belonged to his deceased father, and it was all he had been left in the will.

Slamming his foot on the gas pedal, he accelerated out of the parking lot, nearly ramming into his neighbor, and the nurse of his school, Kaede.

"Watch it, hag!" he shouted out of the window.

He could see her in the rearview mirror, shaking her head.

"What the f-," he growled, claws digging into the driving wheel even more.

'Why the hell's she so damn smug?!'

Pulling in to the nearest drive through, WacDonald's, he paid for a cup of coffee, or 'liquid shit', as he himself called it.

He sat in their tiny parking area, sipping and flinching as the 'liq-,' err- coffee burned his throat.

'What the hell should I do for the next hour…dammit…how'd I set the piece crap for an hour early?! No way…must be broken!'

He thought, refusing to contemplate that it probably was his blunder.

"Hm…aha!"

'Damn!'

He now had a giant coffee stain on his purplish-red shirt, due to his enthusiastic reaction.

Inspecting the damage, he did what any self-respecting optimistic pessimist would do.

"Well, now it looks like I'm wearing a tie. I'm s'pposed to anyway. But damn, now they're gonna think I'm gettin' all damn soft!"

Shaking his head in reluctant defeat, eyes burning, he started up Tessaiga yet again.

Cruising down the interstate as quickly as he could, and Tessaiga was only a good car when kicked into high gear, he headed for Miroku's apartment complex.

--

Once he had finally reached the building, he swerved through the curve of the road, immune to Tessaiga's protesting screeches.

"Deal with it!" he growled to the car, as if it would sympathize with his expectations.

There were three tall buildings that made up Miroku's apartment complex. They each had seven floors, and were all made of different material to boot; the one on the left was good old red brick; the one on the right was made of rough brown stone; and the one in the middle was a bright, sun-shiny yellow.

He flinched at the middle apartment. For some reason, seeing the disgustingly happy paint made him feel as though his innards were dancing.

"Who the hell lives in a yellow apartment…?" he commented, eyes twitching at one blink per two seconds.

Reluctantly, he pulled up parallel to the sidewalk, taking note of the hideous pink daisies that peeked out from the perfectly groomed shrubbery only a few painful feet away from him.

Drumming his hand on the steering wheel, he waited for about a minute, then decided Miroku was taking too long.

He rolled down his window, and readied his lungs.

"Hey Miroku!"

No reply.

"Hey _Miroku_!"

No reaction, just the sickening smell of the pink daisies drifting through his window.

"HEY MIROKU!" He bellowed with the trained diaphragm of an opera singer.

When he received no acknowledgement, he sighed angrily.

"Fine then, since your ears are broken," he murmured, raising his hand.

"MI-RO-KU!" He bellowed between horn honks, and Tessaiga's horn always worked, no matter what the crisis.

"GET-THE-HELL-OUT-SIDE!"

Then, he just let the horn sing its sweet music, not bothering to scream over it.

All of a sudden, he heard an apartment door open.

Leaning his head out the window, eyes closed, he began his rant.

"About time Miroku, you dumbass-,"

He was cut short by a cocked eyebrow look. And it wasn't Miroku's.

Having opened his eyes, he was greeted not by a man, but by a young woman, whose yellow skirt and pink shirt disgustingly matched the apartment building she had come from.

"Uh…"

But she just glared slightly, 'hmphed' pointedly, and turned toe, bag and all, towards the residence parking lot.

"Uh…"

"Hey, Inuyasha. Some idiot was honking their horn like a-,"

WHAM!

"That idiot was me, dumbass." The disgruntled Inuyasha blew on his knuckles before wiping them on his shirt in a truly old-school delinquent fashion.

"I guess I should have figured that. But you didn't have to hit me so hard!" he pointed out, rubbing his enflamed head injury.

"Really, you should think about seeing a psychologist."

"Oh, and you're one to talk?" he growled.

"Let's not discuss this now, okay?"

"Feh," he shrugged, "It's your problem."

"Why did you come here anyway Inuyasha?" Miroku's eyes travelled to the stain on his friend's shirt.

"Dunno, bored."

"Ah," Miroku hadn't taken his eyes away from the shirt.

"What-," he glared when he saw that the man hadn't shifted focus.

"Did something happen to your…uh…shirt, by any chance?"

"Feh, just some li-coffee," he saved himself.

"Do you need a new shirt?"

"Nah," he shook his head roughly. "My muscles wouldn't fit in your shirt."

Miroku snorted. 'Well, aren't you blunt as usual.'

Without even a thank you, Inuyasha asked, "I was just…uh…wondering about the something scouts…?"

"You mean the Youkai Scouts?"

"Yeah, that's them! What the hell do I do?"

Miroku's head landed into his hand, a defeated, slumped visage.

"Didn't you do any research?"

"No, what'd I need t'do that for?!"

"Well," he began, "You need to report to your assigned classroom in the school, which would be yours."

"Oh. That's all?" he blinked, surprised.

"No," Miroku decided to be affront with his friend, "You have all the boys interested sign a log sheet with their name and phone number. Then, you explain to them the rule, and the law, and tell them what they'll learn from becoming Youkai Scouts. Also, do you have your uniform?"

"Ya' mean the ugly blue shirt, yeah. And that damn hat too. Doesn't mean I'll wear it."

"You have to."

"Do not."

"Listen, you really have to. It's in the handbook."

"What handbook?! I didn't get a damn handbook!"

"Okay, okay, calm down," Miroku pressed, digging through his own bag frantically.

"Here it is," he pulled a crumpled handbook from the bag, wiping the sweat from his brow as he handed it over.

"Why do you have this, anyways?" Inuyasha questioned, flipping through a few of the pages as he did.

"Well…because you're a first-timer, the board thought that I, as a former Youkai Scout, should be the assistant troop leader, you know, to help out."

Inuyasha stiffened, glaring daggers into the rear-view mirror.

"Are you sure that's why?"

"Yes," Miroku answered.

"Fine. I gotta go. Are you gonna be there today?"

"No," Miroku shuffled his feet. "I'm taking my class on a field trip, so I won't be back in time."

"Alright," he grumbled as he started to drive away.

"Good luck, Inuyasha!"

'You'll need it…'

--

It had been a long day, and Inuyasha was tired as he drove to Miroku's yet again to return the handbook.

The meeting had gone…okay.

There had been that annoying brat-uh-kid, Shippo, from his homeroom, a demon named Bunza, some kid named Sota Higurashi, somebody named Satoru, who had a big sister named Mayu- 'big deal', a bossy kid named Taromaru who had a rich dad, and Kanta, an otter demon.

Good turn out, good turn out.

Now he had to return that damn and useless handbook.

He pulled up to the sidewalk yet again, and he could have sworn by the fading darkness of the sky that it was an exact repeat of the morning.

Exiting his car, he approached the door to Miroku's apartment, readying his hand for a crisp knock.

However, he was distracted by the sound of struggling from just down the street.

"Let go-please! I don't have any money-!"

It was a woman's voice.

"Heh, like I'm gonna' believe that, lady! How bout' given me a few kisses instead, sweetie?"

"Let go- help! HELP!"

Inuyasha didn't even think.

Dropping the handbook, he raced down the street to find a robber clutching a woman and her bag tightly in his grasp.

Running over, he beat the man's head repeatedly, freeing the young woman.

"Run, just run!" he yelled over his shoulder, the robber coming to his senses and fighting back.

He couldn't see if she had done as he instructed, but he did beat the man so hard he got away as fast as he could from the apartment complex, only to be greeted by a police car with flashing lights.

"Hey lady, are you alright-," he stopped breathless, as he realized whom it was he had saved.

"Kikyo, is that you?"

She didn't answer, just looked at him curiously.

"You're lookin' pretty dumb there, Kikyo," he snorted, a smug smile on his face.

"Why didn't you just beat him up, like ya' did me?"

"Listen you," the girl was storming towards him.

"Thank you for saving me. I really appreciate it. But I don't appreciate you calling me a dumbass and 'Kikyo' all in the same day. My name is Kagome Higurashi! Ka-go-me, okay?"

This was the same girl from the morning? What rotten luck.

"You're right, Kikyo was beautiful. Much more beautiful." He mumbled.

"What was that?!" she demanded.

But he was walking away, hands in pockets, not listening.

Kagome Higurashi, huh?

Looked just like Kikyo.

What a weird day.

He drove away without paying Miroku a visit.

"Hm…Kagome."

'Figures that someone like that lives in an obnoxious yellow apartment.'

He let his mind wander until he reached his own red brick apartment.

"Feh," he whispered as he climbed the seven flights of stairs.

"Guess I should make sure to set that damn alarm clock off early tomorrow."

He smirked as he unlocked the door.

--

How was this one? Not too painful I hope.

Argh...I'm not a morning person, so 'that damn alarm clock' is my sworn enemy! Anyone else hate waking up early? And I don't even get to spill any coffee ties on myself! Sniff, sniff.

Well anyway, thanks for reading, and please leave a review if you would like. It gives me an incentive...like virtual pocky. Heh.

Have a GREAT day!

Byebee:3

TohrutheGreat


	3. Chapter 3: A War of Words

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or pocky. But if I did, damn, I'd buy a Tessaiga car! And some wood...to, you know, build a fire...

Enjoy!

--

"Another morning," Kagome sighed as she closed the door to her apartment in utter defeat. Putting the key in her pocket, she went down the steps, watching as her feet slid into the tracks she liked to imagine she had made from multiple trips down the worn stairs.

"Nothing new…" she echoed her thoughts.

_'Well, that's not entirely true…'_

The strangest thing had happened last week, and she had thought about it quite a bit as she was left with a whole weekend of nothing to do.

_'That weird guy called me a dumb…'_ she glared as she cut herself short, _'…and saved me all in the same day. Wonder why he was here, anyway?'_

Walking into the parking lot, she looked around her, poorly pretending not to hope that he would be here again. Then, she could set things straight, if he was nice, that was. If he wasn't, well, she'd give him 'dumbass!'

She slammed her car door open and closed in one swift move of her hand. Pressing the gas pedal, she let her thoughts stew in their own negative juices.

Unfortunately, she saw another car pulling up just as she pulled away, and therefore, knowing who it was, reluctantly looped around to park beside him.

The look on his face was priceless as she mirrored his car smoothly. Rolling down her window, she waited for him to do the same.

Once he had, she decided it was as good a time as any to act.

"Excuse me, sir, about last week-,"

"Feh," he interrupted, one of the white...dog ears on his head flicking in blatant annoyance."Why're you here?"

"I live here-," she was tempted to add in… 'that word', but she refused to sink to his immature level.

"Oh. Right. Well, don't look so surprised that I didn't know, dammit!" he shouted, pointing a clawed finger at her in a venomous accusation.

She rolled her eyes, holding in her laughter.

Trying the smile tactic, she changed the subject.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to imply that, sir," she sugar-coated her words.

"I was merely trying to apologize for last week…"

When he didn't seem to acknowledge her, or get the obvious societal hint that it was his line to apologize as well, she tried to contain her disbelief.

"…and so, why are you, um, here?"

He looked at her as though she had just hit him in the face.

"You mean, you don't know?"

"Why would I know?" she leaned to the side of the car a bit more, so that her head was almost sticking out of the open window.

"Feh, I guess you're right. Miroku wouldn't go for an ugly thing like you." He turned the other way, a smirk on his face.

"What-are-you-implying?" she spit out through small noises of rage, trying to stay calm and be the adult.

"Well, I guess since Miroku only goes for _beautiful _women," he emphasized the word casually, "And if he'd taken any interest in you, he would have told you about me, or vice versa."

"You're friends with Miroku?" Although she couldn't say she was really surprised; he was just as strange as Miroku was, if not stranger.

"Yeah, me and that lecher go way back; probably even farther than the day you were born, little girl," he sneered.

"What do you mean, _little_?" she gripped the steering wheel, her hand shaking.

"Well, what are you, fourteen, fifteen-?"

"I'M TWENTY ONE!" she yelled, her head fully outside the window's territory now.

"Feh, I'm still older than you! I'm twenty _two_," he smirked stupidly.

"That's not that much older…" she drifted inside her car once more.

"Anyway, me and that pervert have been friends for a while. He's what, twenty four? We met when I helped him beat up some dumbasses at the park…"

_'Dumbass is your favorite word, huh?'_

A smug smile crossed her face as she relished in the thought of telling him that her mother was working very hard and diligently to cure him of that.

"I beg your pardon, but my mother is Miroku's therapist. She's helping him overcome his obsession with…posteriors," she blushed slightly, "And in addition is giving him advice about how to maintain a healthy life style."

For some reason, he burst into uncontrollable laughter.

"What's so funny?" she demanded, her face still flushed.

"Hah-hah!" he croaked.

"Tell her to keep her day job!"

Glaring daggers into his eyes, she leaned out the window, anger smoldering.

"Now you're insulting my _mother_?"

He smirked.

"Just tellin' the truth, little girl. I thought your mommy taught you that telling lies was _wrong_?" he mocked her, changing his voice slightly to exaggerate her age.

"You _are_ lying, you jerk!" she leaned even farther.

"What?! Did you just call me a jerk?!" he sprang to the passenger's seat.

"Yes, I called you a jerk! You called me a-a, a-!"

"Dumbass." He smiled as she blew up.

"Don't call me that!"

"Dumbass." He leaned out the window.

"Stop it!"

"Dumbass." He leaned farther.

"Fine, then. Jerk."

"Don't call me that!"

"What, you mean _jerk_?"

"Stop callin' me that!"

"Jerk." She leaned closer to him.

"Dumbass!"

"Jerk!"

"Dumbass!"

"Jerk!"

With each insult they came closer to falling out of their cars, and closer to each other's faces.

"DUMBASS!"

"JERK!"

"DUMBASS!"

"JERK!"

"DUMB-,"

"STOP!"

They stopped, nose to nose, as Miroku ran over to their cars, still in his sweat pants and sleeping shirt, teddy bear in hand.

"Miroku?" Kagome blinked.

"Miroku...?" Inuyasha snickered, eyeing the pink teddy bear with a heart on its tummy, and the words, 'I Love You' in fancy white print.

"Where'd you get the bear, huh?"

The man blushed, shoving the teddy bear behind his back.

"It-it was a gift from a woman!"

"Yeah," he smirked, "From your mom!"

He didn't answer, instead, whipping around to confront them.

"What are you two _doing_?" He glanced at Kagome, then at his friend, and back at Kagome.

He fixed her with a look of disbelief.

"What is it Miroku?" she asked, curious as to why _she_ had been given such a stare.

"Well," he began, "I mean, I can expect this from him…"

"Hey!" his friend growled.

"…but from you?"

Kagome blushed, ashamed that she had allowed this to escalate so far.

_'I'm just as immature as he is…'_

"I'm sorry, Miroku."

"And…"

She looked at the dog-eared man who had now called her a dumbass more times than she could count, and who had saved her. He really didn't deserve to be called a jerk, no matter how he was behaving.

"I'm sorry, uh…?"

"Inuyasha."

She was surprised that this calm tone came from _him_.

"Inuyasha?"

"Yeah," he was back in the passenger's seat, a slightly appeased look on his young face, as though he might be willing to accept her apology.

"Well, I'm sorry, Inuyasha. Let's not fight. If you don't mind, I'd like us to be friends, instead of enemies."

He blushed, then quickly ruined the moment.

"Look, little girl, I don't give a _damn_ what you'd 'like'," he growled, "Just leave me the hell alone!"

She was taken aback by his harsh attitude.

"I-I'm sorry-," she stammered, watching as the warmth she had felt radiated _away_ from him.

"Later, Miroku." Inuyasha only glared at her as he drove away.

She thought she heard a grating sound, and could smell car exhaust, in addition to what sounded much like, "Damn you, _Tessaiga_!"

Once he was gone, she turned to Miroku.

"Sorry about this Miroku," she apologized, "I acted selfishly."

He just shook his head, meeting her sad gaze.

"Don't worry about it. Inuyasha's just grumpy in general. It's not your fault."

"Oh…" she looked at her feet.

"Is he a…demon?"

Miroku nodded.

"Mm…something like that."

Not sure what he meant, and having a near heart attack when she noticed the clock and her time challenge of ten miles in two minutes, she quickly said goodbye, and sped away.

--

Kagome clutched her bag as she raced towards the stairs that led up to the school, looking straight ahead.

She was startled a bit as she heard another set of speeding footsteps close beside hers.

Turning to see who it was, she caught a golden gaze which met hers at the exact same second she met his.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" Inuyasha growled, he too holding onto his heavy bag with feigned ease.

"I work here. What about you?" she ran faster.

"_I_ work here!" he retorted, sticking his nose in the air with a "feh".

They both stopped, looked at each other, then dropped their bags.

"You work here?!" they cried in unison as the principal came towards them with a disappointed look on his face.

--

Wow, maybe dumbass is my favorite word...nah! Heh.

To clarify something, it has been asked what subject Inuyasha teaches. In this story, Inuyasha is an elementary school teacher, and, like Kagome, teaches all subjects to his homeroom. This is how my elementary school was, and I don't know if this is a usual thing.

It's a bit scary to even contemplate Inuyasha _educating_ people, let alone children, since he has the patience of a two-year old himself! Feh. Love that word.

If there are any other questions, or suggestions, or anything like that, please leave me a review! I would love to hear your thoughts, and I love getting messages that let me know I'm doing _something _right!

Oh, and I don't mind long messages in the least! I tend to have ridiculously long messages, so you all can't beat me there! Hah! Also, if it's long it really shows me that you liked the chapter (foxfaery, loved your review! You didn't ramble...trust me.)

This end note is rambling. Heh.

Have a Great day!

Byebee:3

TohrutheGreat


	4. Chapter 4: The Homeroom from Hell

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha and pocky. (sad violin music...sob, sob!)

Enjoy!

--

"What's going on here?" Principal Myoga stormed outside, looking as though he was a tick about to pop.

While his short stature was far from intimidating, Inuyasha didn't utter more than "feh", for fear of a big boned lecture.

"You're both late! I demand to know what's happened!"

Kagome looked up from her former gaze on the ground, and her books, and cleared her throat.

"Principal Myoga, sir, I apologize for my poor punctuality. There is no excuse, and my pay may be docked as you see fit." She bowed her head formally.

But the principal only smiled, a blush on his round face.

"Always so polite, Ms. Higurashi? All of the faculty should be more like you! Do not worry, you will not be docked pay, but make sure that this doesn't happen again!"

Inuyasha gaped in disbelief.

She could sweet-talk her wait out of anything, huh?!

He was awakened from his internal rant by Principal Myoga's waiting look. For the first time, he caught on.

"Listen, you," he shoved his clawed finger in Myoga's surprised face, "I ain't gonna' apologize for doin' nothin', got that! Feh!"

The principal glared sternly at his employee.

"Master Inuyasha, listen for just one moment! You're lucky that I served your mighty father for so many years, otherwise I never would have hired such a lazy, arrogant, ungrateful-!"

"Yeah, yeah," he waved it off.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I've gotta' teach my damn class!"

"Wait!" Myoga grabbed onto Inuyasha's dark blue shirt sleeve.

"Help your fellow employee pick up her books," he was looking at the man's arm like it was a big, juicy steak.

"Dammit! Don't you think about sucking my blood, Myoga you cowardly bastard!" he yanked his arm away and in doing so sent his boss's face straight into the pavement.

"What the hell's that for?!" he called to the injured principal.

"Well," he coughed up concrete angrily, "I am a _flea_ demon!"

"Oh, you poor thing," Inuyasha rolled his eyes, opening the school door.

"Wait one minute! I order you to help Ms. Higurashi pick up her books!" Myoga called.

"She's a strong girl," he smirked, "Let her do it herself."

"Master Inuyasha," Myoga fumed, "If you do not help Ms. Higurashi collect her materials, so help me I'll-I'll-!"

"Fire me?"

And with that, he closed the door, leaving a stunned principal and an unsurprised Kagome in silence.

--

When Inuyasha opened his classroom door, he went from irritated to infuriated in under two seconds.

Greeted with the sight of drawings all over the white-board, most of which were caricatures of himself in an unflattering style, and school supplies scattered all over the floor, he could hardly stop himself from slamming the door as he walked in.

All of the action that had previously been occurring ceased immediately, and he was suddenly looking into the fearful and curious eyes of his young pupils.

"So," he began, coming over to his messy desk.

"Who the hell did this?!" his messenger bag thudding to the ground could barely be heard over his shriek.

The children immediately began pointing small fingers at whoever was closest to them, not daring to giggle.

"Oh, so that's how you want to play?"

He smirked evilly, putting his hands behind his back, and leaning forward slightly.

"Is this a 'three strikes, you're out'?"

Inuyasha began to walk around the room.

"Let's see…then how 'bout I get three guesses?" he asked innocently, though the smirk was still on his face.

One of his golden eyes caught the little kitsune, or fox demon, Shippo. He appeared to be snickering silently as he finished coloring something.

"Alright…I'll take a swing!"

Walking over to Shippo, he stopped and waited for his shadow over the small demon's body to send an alarm of panic coursing through the child.

It worked, as suddenly, he dropped the crayon and, with a gulp and shaking hands looked straight up into the face of a very smug Inuyasha.

"Watcha' drawin', Shippo?" he asked casually.

"N-nothin'-nothin'!" he scrambled to cover the paper with his little hands.

"Nothin'? That's all?"

"Y-yeah. Nothin'!"

"Shippo, strike one!"

His hand came out from behind his back, menacingly.

The little kitsune gulped.

"Shippo, strike two!"

With his other hand, he snatched the picture away.

"Shippo…"

_WHAM!_

"…strike three! I get a homerun!"

The little kitsune rubbed the enormous bump on his small head, wincing while his teacher glared into the face of his 'well-drawn' picture.

Inuyasha's eyes smoldered as he looked at every detail on the page.

It was a caricature of himself in a Santa Clause outfit, riding in what appeared to be his car, Tessaiga, which instead of being pulled by reindeer was being pulled by tired little boys and girls. It was titled, "Here comes Satan Clause!"

He tore the page in half, crumpling it into an untidy ball and throwing it behind him.

"Shippo, since I'm 'Satan Clause' this year, let me give you an early present!"

_WHAM! WHAM!_

"Two _lumps_ of coal!"

Inuyasha laughed maniacally as he trotted back to his desk.

"Erase this!" he ordered two random students to dispose of the drawings on the board.

"And all of you…extra homework tonight!" he growled to the other students, who out of panic had all assembled in their assigned seats.

"Yes," they chorused with as much life as a stick possessed.

"Yes, what?" he growled.

"Yes, Mr. Takahashi, oh mighty king of all that is living on the planet, animal, rock and tree. We beseech thee to forgive us this crime, and pray that you bestow homework upon us as you see fit. We will do it with, uh…with-,"

"With _gusto_! _Gusto_!" he sighed, head in hand.

"...with _gusto_." The tired class finished.

"You'd better!" he growled, turning to face the white-board.

_'Do pg. 5 in your math workbooks.'_

The students sighed, Shippo especially, as they got out their books.

_'And, if you bring it up and show it to me, and ya' got a one hundred, I won't beat your little heads in! Got it?!'_

The children shuddered, and set out to get a one hundred.

After about five minutes, the first person to come up was a girl named Asagi-who was the smartest kid in his class.

She presented him the workbook page, shuffling her feet nervously.

"Good job Asagi!" his voice radiated fake enthusiasm.

"You're fives look just like you're damn twos, so do it over!"

_WHAM!_

"Ow!" she whimpered as she headed back to her desk, the eyes of the other children watching her, now panicked.

They then turned to their teacher, who promptly barked, "What're you lookin' at?! Get back to work, or I'll beat the crap outta' all of you!"

As the students set back out to work, pencils scribbling madly, Inuyasha sat down, and leaning back, closed his eyes with a smirk.

Ah, this was why he loved his job.

--

It was the end of the school day, and after all of the children had scampered away as fast as they could, Inuyasha was sort of relaxing with a cup of instant ramen.

_'Ah…'_ he thought, slurping up the hot noodles and enjoying the burn in his 'tired' throat.

Once he had finished the cup in record time, he wiped his mouth on his sleeve, and walked over to the window.

Leaning forward on the sill, he watched as the students laughed, happily chasing each other and arranging play dates and other adventures.

He frowned slightly, remembering his own school experiences.

Maybe that was why.

However, he was called away from his reverie by a sight that he had hoped he would never have to see more than once a month anyway.

"What the hell?!"

--

...

I think it's safe to say that I would be home-schooled had I ever had Inuyasha as my teacher!

...

Anyone else?

Heh. Well, this is turning out to be pretty interesting, huh? I'd like you all to guess who or what it is that Inuyasha has seen...ooh, suspense!

Please leave a review if there's something about my writing you'd like me to improve on, something you'd like to see happen, or any thoughts on the story in general (in this case, flames are welcome, as they help start fires! buh-dump-chee.) Sorry, bad pun. :)

Thanks so much for reading, and good luck on exams, high-schoolers and middle schoolers, and to college students...hope you're havin' a great summer!

Have a Great day!

Byebee:3

TohrutheGreat


	5. Chapter 5: My FavoriteThing

Disclaimer: My friends, I would like to say on camera that I do not own Inuyasha or pocky. What, you're not filming? Damn.

Enjoy!

--

Kagome cleaned off her classroom's whiteboard yet again, enjoying the moment of silence.

She felt slightly sad when she was alone, although she had to admit that it could be restful. But no noise strangely filled the room with a familiar emptiness, and she couldn't say that she minded it, just this once.

Today was to be the second Miko Scout Troop meeting, and she smiled as she thought about what each of the sweet little girls would bring in.

'_I wonder what I would bring in…'_ she thought as she stared off into space, eyes hooked on the brightly illuminated ceiling.

"Ms. Kagome!"

Snapping out of her thoughts quickly, face flushed for yet again appearing to be a space case, she turned towards the doorway, where a smiling Koume and a very proud-looking Soten waited to be acknowledged.

There was a cute little neko-mata, or two tailed cat demon, with black markings all over its body in the human girl's arms. The demon girl beside her clutched in her hands a box of what appeared to be an assortment of crayons.

Kagome smiled at them fondly. She was delighted in the fact that the girls were so enthusiastic about her assignment for the week.

"What an adorable cat," she cried as she walked over to Koume, her eyes sparkling.

"Her name is Kuroro," the human girl giggled as Kagome's hand met her neko-mata's head and a purr erupted from her throat.

"She's very friendly," the teacher laughed as the demon nuzzled its head into her palm.

"What about my crayons?!"

Kagome drew back in surprise as a worn box of coloring tools was shoved into her face none-too gently.

"They're lovely Soten!" she responded quickly, backing up slightly to get a better look at them.

"Are you an artist?"

The little demon girl blushed slightly, her eyes averting themselves to the ground.

Kagome gently tousled Soten's hair, saying, "You don't have to be so modest, Soten. In fact, I'd love for you to bring in some of your pictures for the troop to see!"

"Maybe…"

--

The other Miko scouts had come in, faces just as proud and excited as their predecessors.

Mayu had brought in a pretty blue kimono that had been made by her mother with ornate fish sown in; Hitomi had brought in a picture book that contained pictures of animals in their wild habitats-it was looked at often, as the slightly dilapidated exterior expressed; Satsuki brought in a stone flower, or rather, a crystal that had been given to her by her brother; Moegi brought in _The Tale of the Bamboo_ _Cutter_-Kagome was surprised that she could read at that level; and Ai had brought in one of her swimming medals-first place.

Looking around, the young woman was suddenly shocked to realize that Rin was not there.

"Have any of you seen Rin today?" she asked, heading towards the window, a worried expression on her otherwise cheerful face.

"No, sorry Ms. Higurashi!" Ai called pleasantly.

The teacher sadly looked out.

The fact that only Ai had bothered to call out hurt her deeply. Would _none_ of the other girls accept Rin?

She balled her fist, cursing the fact that these girls were still being brought up with a ring of prejudice around their little heads.

'_That will change…I promise Rin!'_

A muffled voice coming from down the hallway caught Kagome's attention.

'_What…?'_

"Come on- we have to go! I'm…late!"

It sounded like Rin.

She turned, preparing to open the door. However, it soon snapped in half, falling to be bits, with what looked like vaporous venom wreathing around its remains.

The little girls were coughing uncontrollably as they tried in vain to get to the back of the classroom before their favorite things deteriorated miraculously.

Coughing like mad, Kagome made her way to the door, struggling to see the face of the person, or thing, who had caused this incident.

When it began to clear, she was shocked to see long, silver hair.

Her rage went into overdrive.

'_INUYASHA! You're gonna' get it! How __**dare **__you!'_

She stomped over, only stopping in shock as she realized this was not her new found nemesis, but rather, a very blasé looking dog demon.

He was wearing an expensive white business suit, with a yellow tie that matched his cold golden eyes. On his shoulder he was wearing a giant feather boa…-no, wait!- it was a part of his body.

She shook a bit when faced with his domineering figure, as he was a rather tall individual. Gulping she took a step back, surprised to see Rin's sweet face smiling up at her.

"Hello, Ms. Kagome!"

"Hello, Rin," she tried to control her panic.

"Uh…who is this…?"

"Oh," Rin looked up at the bored demon standing behind her, then back at the troop leader.

"This is Lord Sesshomaru!" she piped up gleefully.

"Why… is he here, Rin?" she asked, eyes still wide.

"Oh, well, you told us to bring in our favorite things…so I did!" she looked a bit confused at first, but then immense pride filled her eyes and she gained a bit more confidence.

"…" Kagome stared speechless.

'_Rin certainly is different…but I __**did**__ say that…'_

"That's nice Rin," she smiled before making her way over to the demon.

She stretched out her hand, offering a shake.

"Hello, uh…Lord Sesshomaru! I'm the leader of-,"

"This Sesshomaru," he looked at her with a stare that could possibly be classified as snobbish-or horrified, she wasn't sure what his range of facial movement was.

"Would not be so low as to shake the hand of a mere human."

Kagome blinked, trying to resist the urge to punch him square in the nose and wipe that awful look off his face.

However, Rin saved her from such an end.

"Don't worry Ms. Kagome! That means he likes you!"

And with that, she walked to a desk by the window, pulling a reluctant Sesshomaru by the hand.

All of the girls were terrified, now sitting in the back, still clutching their treasures.

The demon that they feared paid them no mind; not even taking the time to look at them.

"Alright, everyone," Kagome began, "Say hello to…Lord Sesshomaru!"

They were silent.

"Girls," she chided, "As Miko Scouts, you're on your honor to be polite."

"Hello…Lord Sesshomaru!" they half-screamed.

Kagome looked at the dog demon, who showed no sign of acknowledgement.

Rin quickly intervened.

"Lord Sesshomaru says, 'This Sesshomaru acknowledges you,'" she chirped, deepening her voice slightly to imitate his as best as she could.

"Alright," Kagome tried not to laugh for fear that he would vaporize her once clean classroom, "Scouts, I'd like each one of you to come up here and tell me why these items are your favorite things…"

--

It was finally Rin's turn to explain her odd reasons for choosing Lord Sesshomaru as her favorite…thing.

She tugged on his hand until he sort of relented and came with her to the front of the classroom. Rin turned to the girls, a giant smile on her face.

"Lord Sesshomaru is brave, smart, strong, and I will always be with him! He takes care of me, and saves me when I'm in trouble! That's why I brought him here!"

The little girls could hardly contain their shock at the thought of a human child living with such a ferocious and icy demon.

But, they managed a smile of, if nothing else, hidden sympathy.

Kagome clapped her hands together.

"That was a very nice description of him, Rin! I'm glad you brought him in for us to meet."

Lord Sesshomaru looked just as displeased, but his face had softened…slightly.

"Now, who brought in money for uniforms?"

Every girl raised their hand, save Rin.

Kagome came over to the child, and reaching out her hand asked, "Do you have the money for it, Rin?"

She shook her head. "Lord Sesshomaru doesn't want to spoil me. So, I don't get much money."

The teacher's eyes were instantly changed.

"Rin, what if…I paid for your uniform?"

The girl's eyes widened in shock.

"You'd do that, Ms. Kagome?"

She nodded with a smile.

"I will," she began, "But, you have to try to make friends with the other girls, okay?"

Rin looked a bit hesitant.

"Don't worry. I'll help you."

Looking reassured, she nodded her head, eyes shining.

"Thank you, Ms. Kagome. Thank you very much."

"Your very welcome, Rin."

Walking to her desk again, she retrieved a box from her teacher's bag.

Putting it on top of her faithful wooden servant, she drew a pair of scissors from her pocket, and opened the box quickly.

Once the task was complete, she pulled out a red vest which in addition had a white sash attached and a red beret.

The girls squealed, excitement on their faces.

--

Once everyone had gotten their uniforms, Kagome dismissed the girls with a preview for the following week.

"Next week, we will begin to earn our badges! Good-bye Miko Scouts, and be good!"

In pairs of two, the girls bustled out of the room.

Unfortunately, they were all bowled over by a very angry Inuyasha.

"What the _hell_," he glared daggers at the three people who were left in the room; ignoring the little Miko Scouts who were trying to reassemble themselves.

"Are you doing here?!"

Kagome rushed past him, her eyes burning.

He turned to see her helping the girls up, kissing their injured knees, and sending them off with an apology, and a gentle pat on the back.

The poor idiot should have escaped while he had the chance.

"INUYASHA!" she turned, furious.

He only stared her down, smug.

"So…you're a Miko Scout Troop leader? How cute…though, you're not exactly the role model type."

"What are you doing here?!" she ignored his snide comment.

"Well, if you have to know-,"

"It was a _rhetorical_ question! You're supposed to apologize for hurting my scouts first, idiot!" he could swear he saw a fire behind her back.

"F-feh, why would I do that?!" he tried not to gulp.

"Because," she roared, "You're actually a kind-hearted person!"

"You don't know a damn thing about me, wench!"

"Oh, I don't?!" she stormed right up to him.

"Well, I've learned a lot today, thank you very much!"

"Like what?!" he challenged.

"Like for instance: you're-a-sel-fish-jerk-who-hates-chil-dren-and-you-hate-hav-ing-to-apologize-ev-en-though-it-was-your-fault!" she shouted, jabbing her index finger into his chest between syllables.

"That all?" he smirked.

"Oh," she raised her eyebrows, "And your favorite word is-,"

She stopped when she saw Rin.

"…well, you know."

"This is all very touching."

The two generals of an endless war ceased fire as Sesshomaru strode to stand between them.

"I'm so glad you're incredibly popular wherever you go, Little Brother," he looked down on Inuyasha with an icy gaze that Kagome could have sworn was a look of utter hatred.

"Little brother?!" Kagome squeaked.

"You're his…?"

"Unfortunately," Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

"Half-brother, actually," Sesshomaru turned to glare at Kagome.

"Lord Inuyasha!" Rin ran over to the dog-eared man and hugged him tightly from behind.

"Come have dinner with us!"

"Why the hell would I do that?!" he barked.

Sesshomaru picked his brother up by the throat, extending poisoned claws towards his face.

"You skipped this month," he spoke with a blasé tone.

"_Rin_ was troubled."

"Well, you don't give a damn whether I come or not, so just put me down!"

The demon dropped him with a thud.

"You're coming, half-demon."

'_Half-demon?'_ Kagome turned a soft gaze to an injured Inuyasha.

'_He's a…half-demon?'_

"Like _hell _I will!"

"Lord Inuyasha," Rin called, following Sesshomaru out, "Bring Ms. Kagome with you! That way you'll have more fun!"

"What?!"

"I'd love to come, Rin," Kagome looked at a shocked Inuyasha whose jaw was almost touching the floor.

'_Even though I don't really want to eat with Inuyasha…maybe I can learn more about him this way…'_

_--_

Alrighty. Summer vacation! Woot, woot! (takes off top and swings it around on a table...censored of course.)

Forgive my vulgarity (ahem.)

So, how was this one? I can't say I like it...but it'll have to do.

Please review if you would like, as it makes me feel good, and gives me positive feedback...or negative...maybe. Whatever you want.

If there is anything you would like me to change, or to add: leave a review! (oh...and chocolate almond pocky is the devil's temptation...beware!)

MWAHAHAHAHA! What's with this stupid and long end notes? Good lord, I need to go find a life! (I hear they're pretty cheap at Walmart.)

Have a Great day!

Byebee:3

TohrutheGreat


	6. Chapter 6: Dinner With My Nemesises

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or pocky. But I do incorporate them into pretty much everything I do. I'm not obsessed, okay! Heh.

Enjoy!

--

'_Oh great!'_

Inuyasha stormed back to his classroom to gather up his bag and lock the door. He tried not to turn around to look at Kagome Higurashi, aka: the woman who had managed to ruin his whole life in one whole day.

After locking the door, she walked with him to the school parking lot.

The whole way there she didn't argue; he found this incredibly out of character.

When he turned to look at her, he was caught off guard by her gaze. The sympathetic face made his insides churn, and not in a good way.

"What the hell's wrong with you?!" he finally demanded as they reached her car.

She sighed, looking up at him.

"Nothing, Inuyasha-san."

"It's just Inuyasha! Drop the stupid 'san'!" he yelled harshly.

She was taken aback, and the startled movement of her body almost made him feel guilty.

"I'm sorry, Inuyasha."

"Feh, whatever."

"So," she shuffled her feet, "Where does your brother…uh…live?"

He rolled his eyes.

"Look, I don't feel like takin' the time to give you any damn directions! So, I'll just take you there! Got it?!"

"Alright," she readily agreed, trying to hide her panic.

"What," he smirked with a newfound stab, "Never been picked up by a guy before, Higurashi?"

"Th-that's not it!"

"Feh. Like I care."

He began to walk away.

"Uh, what-?"

"Thirty minutes from now!" he called over his shoulder.

If the fact that he was picking her up wasn't bad enough, the time crunch would surely be her undoing.

--

Inuyasha pulled up to Miroku and Kagome's apartment complex.

He had debated for about fifteen minutes whether or not to pick the wench up- hell, it would have been fun to see her flustered and upset at being 'stood-up'.

Parking there, he looked at the digital clock in Tessaiga. When he saw the time, he punched the box in frustration.

'_I'm losin' my mind!'_

Of course, his beloved, quality car always read: _'5:58'_.

Perfect.

He drummed his claws on the steering wheel; temptation was pushing him to just go hang out with Miroku for the rest of the night. If he left his keys in the ignition, the damn woman could just take herself! Then, she could figure out an excuse to tell his stupid brother- it'd be a creative assignment! He would be doing the both of them a favor.

But in the end, his better judgment won, and he decided to wait.

Closing his eyes, he vented his frustration.

"Damn woman, probably tryin' to pretty herself up! Feh, Kagome, it'd take a lot longer than fifteen minutes to make you look half-way decent!"

"Is thinking out loud a habit of yours?"

He hadn't noticed the car door open, and he hadn't seen the woman who had gotten in.

'_Ka-kagome?!'_

Nah, it wasn't Kagome. The radiant woman who had just stepped into his car couldn't be the awkward little teenager-err-teacher who had picked a fight with him this morning.

She was wearing a purple dress that was long- so as to cover her legs- and her hair was in a low ponytail. Her lips were covered with a pale pink gloss, and her eyes were lined.

No, this was definitely not Kagome Higurashi.

"Yes, it's me." She smiled a little at the aghast expression on his face.

He blushed as he turned away from her.

Scratching out all of the adjectives that were synonyms with 'beautiful', he decided to forget that for a second he had almost wanted…

"Feh, 'bout time. Why're you so dressed up?"

"Unlike you," she retorted, "I care about my appearance at all times."

"You look absolutely ridiculous. Like a little girl putting on make-up for the first time." He smirked, trying to make up for his humiliation.

"That's not what you thought a minute ago," she smiled, "And yes, I saw the way you were looking at me. I guess you are part human."

He glared daggers at her.

She instantly regretted that comment.

"Inuyasha, I'm sorry-,"

"Shut up!"

He pushed his foot on the gas pedal, his eyes burning.

It was only when he smelled tears that he was brought out from his anger.

"Inuyasha, I'm so sorry! I'm such a horrible person! I only…I only wanted," she cried into her hands.

His eyes softened for a split second. When he realized he had once again let his guard down, he toughened up.

"It doesn't matter."

He looked to see her smiling at him; the tears still threatening to come.

"Thank you."

"Whatever."

And with that said, the half-demon turned his eyes to the road; the Takahashi estate would only be so far away.

--

"Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha turned to see Kagome looking along the main road for signs of an exit.

"What?" he asked harshly.

'_If she asks when we're gonna' get there…I swear-!'_

"What does…Lord Sesshomaru's home…look like?" she questioned, eyes wide with curiosity.

"First of all," he snapped, turning sharply off the main road, "Ditch the 'Lord Sesshomaru'. Only Rin and suck-ups call him that. He goes by 'bastard' or just plain 'Sesshomaru', but for your best interest use the latter!

"Second, he's filthy rich, so use that damn imagination you wenches got!"

She rolled her eyes, watching the dotted lines on the road pass by as yellow smudges in the darkness.

This made him angry, but he was far too preoccupied with driving at the moment to bite back a sharp comment.

'_Sure she's mature!'_ he mocked internally.

Suddenly, he felt very sick, as he always did when he pulled up to the large, iron gates with twin gargoyles on either side.

He usually entertained the idea that they were jesting maliciously whenever he reluctantly drove between them.

"Wow!"

He jumped back, startled by his passenger's exclamation.

"It's so beautiful here!"

It was his turn to roll his eyes snidely.

Of course, _she_ would think it was beautiful. However, he was rather unimpressed by the huge brick structure with purple flowered vines growing up the sides in a rather romantic fashion. Not even the enormous alternating white and black marble pillars that wound around the enormous entrance space could make his eyes widen.

Pulling up to the side, he was met with a little green imp wearing an ill-fitting tuxedo.

He rolled down Kagome's window, smirking at the thought that she would be on the receiving end of the rant.

"Lord Inuyasha, how dare you skip dinner! You were supposed to come last week! You know that it looks bad for Lord Sesshomaru to invite all of his business men and promise to introduce you, and then have you stand him up-!"

"Yeah, yeah. Now if you don't mind, could ya' stop yellin' at my date!" he growled, leaning forward so that he was hovering over Kagome's lap and his head was almost out the window.

She blushed furiously, but whether it was over his words or his position was hard to tell.

The little imp sighed, and opened the passenger door. He didn't apologize to Kagome, but looked slightly guilty as she stepped out of the car.

"T-thank y-you," she stammered nervously, face still red.

Inuyasha got out on the other side, tossing his keys over the car roof.

An issued "ow!" from the passenger side told him that he had nailed his target perfectly.

He walked around to the other side, and after grabbing Kagome's arm, said a brief 'thanks'.

"Later, Jaken!"

They traveled to the steps in silence.

"I-Inuyasha…?"

"Hm?"

He saw that she was blushing. Smirking, he looked ahead once more.

"Did y-you mean what you said about me b-being your-,"

"Hell no, wench! But it shut up the little bastard, so who gives a damn?"

"O-oh."

She looked slightly less red, which was not what he wanted at all.

"Did you wanna' be?" he smirked evilly, looking straight into her face.

"N-no!" she swatted him away. "W-who'd have the patience to be your date?! That takes a s-saint!"

His eyes softened. "Oh, it did."

"What?"

"Nothing," he looked skyward.

Though he felt her eyes travelling to his face, he did not move his neck.

It wasn't any of her business anyway.

--

The two had been seated at a ridiculously long table, which Inuyasha swore was just to make his brother feel like a _stupid_ king.

The first time he had been forced to come here, he had half expected to find a menu at his seat, just to add to the foolish extravagancy of the manor.

Sesshomaru sat at the head of the table, of course, with Inuyasha on his right, and Kagome on his left. Rin sat next to Kagome, chatting away excitedly.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. Well, at least _he_ didn't have to talk.

"Inuyasha!"

Shit! That was short-lived.

Rin was leaning over the table, extending her hands towards his face.

The half-demon panicked, and watched for his brother's reaction.

But, the stoic dog-demon was unaffected, sipping his tea silently.

Turning wide golden eyes back to the little girl, he was shocked to feel something about to touch his ears.

'Why me?!'

He fell backwards, his back cracking slightly as it came into contact with the _stupid_ marble floor.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"Are you alright?!"

Kagome was at his side, chuckling slightly, but concerned all the same.

"Feh, like that could hurt me!"

She helped him to his feet, laughing the whole way up.

"Well, it sure sounded like it hurt! Do you think you'll be okay?" she asked gently.

"Like I said, doesn't-!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

She ceased patting his back.

"Oh, it doesn't?"

"Just…leave…me…alone…" he gasped out, slowly relaxing into his chair.

'_Ah…I feel better already!'_

"Rin, you're right! His ears are soft!"

'…'

'…'

'_What the hell?!'_

Sure enough, Kagome was tweaking his ears.

All he could do was fall forward in defeat.

"Why me? Why me? Why me?!" his voice was muffled by the table cloth.

"Alright, I'll leave you alone now."

He sat like that until dinner came...right on top of his head.

--

"Fun my foot!" he growled as he and Kagome walked back to his car.

"I had fun!" she chirped.

"Oh, Inuyasha, you've got some-,"

He felt her pull something out of his hair.

"Hm. It's chocolate."

She smiled as she popped it into her mouth.

"Good thing you didn't eat it!"

He glowered angrily at the "dog-joke" implication.

"You're really getting on my nerves, wench!"

"I'm sorry, Inuyasha!"

"And, why're you being so smiley and happy and 'the world is great'?!"

When she didn't answer, he looked her straight in the face.

She smiled, and said, "Well, I guess it's because you're not such a bad guy."

"Feh," he blushed and turned away.

"I am, and more than bad! I'm a half-demon!"

She was still smiling, one eyebrow raised.

"Doesn't that bother you?! Eating dinner with a half-demon and his stick-up his ass brother and his human brat?!"

"Not at all," she answered honestly.

"In fact, it's nice that your brother makes you eat dinner with him at least once a month!"

"Only cause he has to."

"Hm?" she looked at him curiously.

"It's in my old man's will…that I have to eat dinner there once a month. I never knew him, and that's all I got-that and the piece a crap Tessaiga!"

"Tessaiga?"

"My damn useless car," he muttered sheepishly.

She chuckled a bit.

"I don't know why in the seven hells Sesshomaru wanted it!"

"He wanted your car?"

"Yeah," Inuyasha shrugged as they approached said vehicle.

"Guess it's because it was dad's first car and all. Must mean somethin' to that snobby idiot."

She patted him on the shoulder.

"My father died when I was a little girl, so I can see why maybe Sesshomaru wanted it."

"Whatever," he tried not to sound harsh when looking into her suddenly sad brown eyes.

"If it was something that belonged to someone you cared about, wouldn't you want it too, Inuyasha?"

He paused, then quickly threw the fleeting thought away.

"Maybe."

--

Gah! OoC alert! (I'm depressed that I stooped to this...). This chapter is ridiculously cliche, so I apologize for the eye-sore. I'm trying to break myself of doing too much too quickly, so please be patient with me.

Other than that, how was it? I'd really like some feedback on this one.

Yes, I made Sesshomaru rich, as is the case in most fanfictions (sorry for following the crowd...). To clear something up: the reason that Inuyasha has to eat there every month probably has to do with father's intuition. The father probably assumed that Sesshomaru would never share the wealth he had given to him with his half-brother; just to make sure that his son didn't starve in his poverty, he most likely put in his will that he had to eat there, otherwise his older son would lose half of his estate, or all of it, or something like that. You can use the damn imagination you wenches got! (Oh God, she's quotin' from her own work...pathetic!) And guys...if any read...try to...

One last thing: does anyone here read the Inuyasha manga serialization? Well, if you do, you probably know that Rumiko-sama is submitting the final chapter into Shonen Sunday next week. I'm ridiculously sad...but besides that, the last chapter will be chapter 558. So, Tessaiga is stuck displaying the time: '5:58'! Sorry...I'm a strange, strange person who likes to hide little things in my stories. Mwahaha.

Anyway, please leave a review if you liked it, or think I can improve (Lord knows it would take forever to list all the improvements) on something. I really appreciate it.

Also, if you believe in prayer, please pray for the four boy scouts who were killed in a tornado in Iowa. When I read the article I thought of all my little Miko and Youkai Scouts. So, please, if you could, pray, and if you don't believe in that, keep them in your thoughts. Much love, always.

Have a Great day!

Byebee:3

TohrutheGreat


	7. Chapter 7: The Devil's Assistant

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or pocky. But you didn't hear that from me...

Enjoy!

--

After locking her car in the apartment complex's parking lot, Kagome was suddenly aware of how dark the sky had become.

Though it was May, she felt incredibly cold. She gripped her hands to their parallel arms in an effort to warm herself up.

'_Well…at least I can always tell when a storm's coming.'_

Cutting that thought off when she crossed the subject of having an animal's sharp senses, she made a quick dash to the main steps.

The pink daisies were drooping, much to her dismay, but her yellow apartment always seemed to act as a lighthouse of sorts, a beacon. It drew attention to itself. But she liked it because no matter what the weather, it never changed. It was not made from hard stone; cold to the touch and eye, but rather, it was warmth in the darkest hours.

She always caught herself smiling whenever she saw it, and while some might mock her for living in…albeit a unique apartment, she found it to be only natural. Who wouldn't want cheerfulness?

Suddenly, the door across from her opened softly.

Turning her head, she saw a rather melancholy Miroku.

"Hey, Miroku!" she waved, a bright smile donning her face.

"Oh, hello Kagome."

If his tone was anything to judge by, something was bothering him.

He nodded silently, and continued down the steps.

Oh, but Kagome followed, if only to try and help.

"Miroku?"

He hadn't stepped from the side walk yet, so he did a slight pivot on the foot that wasn't in midair to face his interviewer.

"Yes, Kagome?"

"Is…uh, something…bothering you, Miroku?"

"Going to follow the family business?" he jested half-heartedly, though he still wore a smile.

She shook her head fiercely.

"No, I don't think I'd have the patience to be a psychologist." She waited for an answer to her question.

"It's nothing, nothing."

"It's not nothing," she spoke gently, putting her free hand softly on his shoulder.

He sighed, looking into her brown eyes. Well, now he had to tell her.

"There have been…more kidnappings, Kagome."

The young woman's eyes widened as she withdrew her hand.

"…More?"

The man nodded.

"It was one of my favorite students, too. She was good kid."

"I'm so sorry, Miroku. I thought they were over when they caught the criminal." Her eyes were dark with pain.

But he shook his head.

"They only caught the leader. I guess some of his cronies are paying some sort of sick tribute to his legacy. It's unfortunate, but what can we do?" his voice rang with a reluctant defeat, and she inwardly winced.

'_I wish I had an answer Miroku…'_ she wished whole-heartedly.

"So," he changed the subject with a filler word, "How is the Miko Scout thing going?"

She blinked in surprise.

"How did you know-?"

"Inuyasha. You're the subject of most of our phone conversations, you know?"

Kagome's face went from pale and worried to scarlet.

The man chuckled a bit, laughing it off with a wave of his hand.

"I really try to insist that you're an incredibly beautiful woman, but he doesn't believe me. He replies that you're 'too soft for a tough guy like him', but how does he know? I tell him that he should test that theory…softness…"

Ms. Higurashi did not miss the suggestive tone and the hand snaking towards her posterior while he held her gaze.

'_Aren't we a bit old for this…?'_ she thought, her hand posed as though ready to pick up a disgusting piece of trash.

Once again, the pervert had been thwarted.

"You're lucky that I'm so accepting! I should slap you one of these days, Miroku!" Kagome glared dangerously, though she meant nothing deadly by it.

Miroku smiled good-naturedly, waving it off as usual.

"Your mother is lovely, though. So intelligent…refreshing-," he cut that off when he saw his friend eyeing him with a murderous stare.

"Oh-but not like that," he laughed.

"All I meant was that she's trying very hard to cure me of my…family curse."

"You're not exactly a credit to my mother's reputation in the psychological treatment community. And a word of advice: if you're going to pull that move, don't pull it on or in front of your therapist's daughter who is helping you by getting you discount." She warned, index finger extended in a lecturer's pose.

"I'll keep that in mind," he smiled, preparing to leave.

"Well, good-bye Kagome, and have a pleasant evening!"

He began to walk away, after waving to her flamboyantly.

"Remember Miroku: if I don't slap you, one day, someone else will!"

Only chuckling at her prophecy, he walked towards the parking lot.

'_Who could resist my charm?'_

--

"Alright brats, let's see what the hell you bothered to bring in!"

And thus was the first sentence Miroku heard upon becoming the Assistant Leader of Youkai Scout Troop 50.

"There you are Miroku!" Inuyasha turned to stare at his friend who had just walked through the door.

"Oh, hello, Mr. Takahashi!"

"What's with the formality?!" the angry half-demon growled as his assistant came and placed his materials behind Inuyasha's desk.

"Well, I suppose it would be a good thing to teach our scouts," he spoke, smiling to the poor boys who sat in their seats.

Some looked as though ready to leap and strangle Inuyasha; sacrificing their lives for a noble cause so that the other children could escape. Others looked as though they regretted their decision dearly and 

upon hearing a 'no, you may not quit!' from their guardians, had mustered up all their courage and manhood to bring themselves through the class room door for a second time.

This was not comforting.

"Hello, Youkai Scouts," Miroku began cheerfully, "My name is Mr. Miroku Houshi, but you may call me Mr. Miroku, or-,"

"Mr. Girl-Butt Explorer," Inuyasha finished with a snicker.

Some of the boys now looked at him with admiration, while others made a mental note to hide their sisters from the fiend.

Trying not to punch his best friend, Miroku finished, "…or Mr. Houshi."

"Now, I'm going to tell you a bit about myself. I was in the Youkai Scouts when I was your age-in fact, I earned almost every badge and medal possible. I'm the P.E. teacher at Tsujitani High School, and I am an experienced swimmer. If you have any questions feel free to ask me, as I will be the Assistant Troop Leader here." He smiled at the end of the speech.

Now the frightened boys looked at him as though he were their savior.

"Hey Miroku, did you get that medal for reading to old ladies?" Inuyasha called out, the mirth on his face making his golden eyes shine brightly.

"Yes, I did." He answered, suspicious.

"So were their granddaughters grateful?"

Miroku laughed nervously at the implication.

"Oh, yes. Very grateful."

"Feh, thought so."

Changing the subject Miroku eyed the white board.

'_Alright, I'm ain't gonna' bother with 'hello's' and 'welcome's' and shit. I'm just gonna' expect you to sit your dumb asses down in your damn seats and wait until I'm ready to start! If you forgot the ramen and your 'favorite thing', I hope you prayed extra this morning! Sincerely, the master of all things living, Inuyasha Takahashi. But just call me Inuyasha, brats!'_

'_Ah…well, at least he stays consistent,' _Miroku thought with a sigh as he turned back around to face his scouts.

He looked at Inuyasha reluctantly as a sign to continue where he had left off before he had come into the room.

His friend took it.

"Shippo! What the hell did you bring?!"

Inuyasha had pointed a clawed finger at a small kitsune sitting in the middle of the front row; poor boy.

The little child glared at his scout leader, and promptly answered.

"I brought two things: my spinning top and this," he held up a note and said top.

"Why the hell did you bring a note?" Inuyasha asked smugly.

"Because it's precious to me," Shippo challenged.

"Then why don't you read it for us?" the half-demon smirked at the thought of humiliating the young fox-demon.

'_A letter from a girl, perhaps?'_ Miroku's mind naturally reached a personally induced conclusion.

"Gladly," the fox-demon smiled evilly as he shuffled to stand on the top of his seat.

"Ahem," he cleared his throat before beginning.

" '_Principal Myoga, sir. I would like to say that on behalf of one of my orphans, Shippo, I would like to request that you fire his teacher. My ward says that he is an evil beast with disgusting, uncombed hair, and that he beats them all with a stick. He says that his teacher won't let them draw and nurture their creative talents, and that he locks them in the room during lunch and steals their food. Shippo says that he laughs while they starve. The room is always freezing cold and the devil himself sits next to Mr. Takahashi on his shoulder as he speaks. I do not approve of this! My ward says that there are rats, and bats, and all sorts of insects that crawl around on the floor and eat the children's flesh. Mr. Takahashi apparently will, at times with his disgusting talons pick up whole rats and skin them! Shippo says that he tacks them to the white board like trophies and that their blood collects in the silver part at the bottom! Mr. Takahashi then uses the blood to write on the board! And in rat blood, he writes the homework for each night-which keeps my poor Shippo up until two o'clock in the morning! Please, Principal Myoga, hire a dog catcher and put that mangy puppy to sleep! If not, I will see you in court! Thank you very much, Madame Exorcist.'_"

Shippo sat down with a triumphant smile on his face.

Inuyasha stood there, his eye twitching rhythmically.

"Shippo," he smiled dashingly.

"Yeah?" the kitsune asked, eyes closed in an arrogant manner.

"SO HELP ME! I'LL USE _YOUR_ DAMN BLOOD TO WRITE ON THE BOARD, YOU LITTLE BASTARD!" Inuyasha managed to choke out while strangling Shippo.

"Inuyasha, stop!" Miroku barely managed to pry his best friend from the child.

"You're not setting a good example! Besides, at least he didn't turn the note in!"

The half-demon stopped, though he did not buy his friend's message.

Meanwhile, the other scouts were trying to contain their laughter.

Miroku smiled; he thought Shippo's description of his friend fairly accurate.

--

After Miroku had collected the uniform money, he was suddenly reminded of the fact that Inuyasha had neglected to wear his own uniform.

"Excuse me," he whispered into the Troop Leader's ear, "But, why aren't you wearing the uniform?"

The half-demon crossed his arms, annoyed.

"Don't need it! Besides, I don't look good in hats."

With a sigh, Miroku murmured half-heartedly, "You can teach a dog to shake, but you can't dress it up and take it out."

"What was that about dogs?!"

"Nothing!"

Some of the scouts within hearing range smiled at the dog pun, enjoying their evil leader's discomfort.

"Feh! Just get the uniforms, will ya?"

"Yes, yes." Miroku nodded, bending down to pull several blue shirts from the appropriate box. Each one had a yellow ascot attached, along with an optional baseball style cap in a lovely shade of...coffee, perhaps.

"Okay brats, come and get 'em!" Inuyasha barked.

Once each scout had recieved his uniform, said leader counted the money one time...two times. As he was now satisfied, it was time for an orderly dismissal.

"Next week, I hafta' teach you dumbasses how to do something 'worthwhile'. So shaddup and listen ta' me next time, got it?!"

They all hurried away once Inuyasha's spiel was over, tumbling over each other in throngs to escape.

Miroku shook his head in defeat.

'_Inuyasha, my friend, you have such a long way to go…'_

_--_

(Blink, blink.) Well, this was...special. I must have been on a sugar high or depressed or something when I wrote this...I'll leave it up to your creative brains.

While this chapter normally would have been in Kagome's point of view, I decided that I needed to get a, "little bit a' Miroku by my side". And to all of you Sango lovers...she's comin' soon! Maybe not the next chapter, but incredibly soon.

The kidnapping was a dark topic, sorry if that bothered anyone, but yes, it is relevant to the story.

Yes, Miroku did manage to get a job that involved working with teenage girls...oh the irony. He must have been well-behaved for the job interview (provided it was not an attractive woman interviewing). Also, a tribute to Miroku's Japanese voice actor(seiyuu) himself, Koji Tsujitani-sama in the High School's name. Heh. I'm a nut.

Anyways, I hope this was an okay chapter. I promise that the next one will be better, hopefully!

Inuyasha is over.

Have a Great day!

Byebee:3

TohrutheGreat


	8. Chapter 8: A Good Deed

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or pocky. But if you hear a random high-pitched noise...it's not your imagination...(I'm that loud).

This chapter is dedicated to the wonderful inuyashafan424567, who recommended this story! Thank you so much, and I hope you like this chapter! As for the cookies...what kind should I bake?

Enjoy!

--

'_I WANT TO CHANGE THE WORLD, Kaze wo kakenukete…'_

A young boy of about eleven years listened to his CD; there was nothing else to do.

He didn't understand why he had to move when everything was just fine.

'…_nani mo osorezu ni, imai yuuki to-,'_

His right headphone was removed from his ear, and he quickly paused it so as not to share with the world what he was listening to.

A woman of about twenty-three years of age smiled at him gently, her brown eyes apologizing for the voyage they had to make.

"Kohaku, are you…doing well?" she asked softly.

The boy with this name nodded. But how could he be doing well? After…that…

"Are you hungry?" he asked, leaning forward in his seat towards his bag.

"No thanks. May I sit here?"

"Yeah, sure," Kohaku moved all of his junk from the middle seat so that she could sit right beside him. He liked it that way.

"Thank you."

There was that smile again. He didn't particularly like this one; it was fake, almost forced, and he didn't like to be the one causing it.

_"Passengers, please secure your seatbelts, and turn off all cell phones. We'll be taking off in a short while."_

After the speaker clicked off, he put his headphone back into his right ear. He had the window seat, and he needed something to look at.

As the plane lifted into the sky, he watched as the people waving the plane onwards began to shrink, smaller and smaller.

That must have been how he had looked, once. Like all the other ant-sized people below.

But he didn't anymore. This was good-bye.

--

Kagome smiled when the alarm refused to ring this morning.

And why?

'_I have a doctor's appointment today!'_ she thought happily as she snuggled her face deeper into her pillow.

_**Honk, honk, honk!**_

Damn car alarms!

Well now she was _wide _awake…goody.

'_So much for sleeping in…'_ she thought as she wiped the sleep from her eyes.

--

Kagome Higurashi parked her car in one of the many car slots that lay inside the parking garage.

'_Level Two, by the elevator,'_ she recited mentally, since she had a tendency to forget little things like these.

After making every effort to flatten her pale green skirt, she opened the door with an exasperated sigh.

'_I'll bet I have huge, dark bags under my eyes…'_ she thought as she pressed the elevator button.

As she travelled down, she reflected on yesterday's events.

'_I hope they find that girl…poor Miroku…'_

There had been a series of kidnappings about five years ago, when Kagome had been a mere high school student, and it had scared her mother terribly. That was the year that club activities ceased for Ms. Higurashi, who would have been an easy target after school. It was frightening…

That time was so bittersweet, and though Kagome had forged a stronger relationship with her family, she had been denied the one thing she had wanted desperately since the day she became a Miko Scout at age seven; the Shikon Jewel. It was the highest honor that could have been bestowed, and it meant the completion of a devoted Miko Scout's travel. When her troop leader Midoriko had first shown her little scouts the medal, Kagome's eyes had shown with a new light.

Somehow, she had vowed, though she wasn't particularly skilled at anything, to get that medal.

Her eyes clouded into pools of bitter regret.

'_Oh well…'_

At least she was safe.

Though they had caught the ring leader, and imprisoned him, the kidnapped children were never found. One had even been from her school.

She shivered, grateful when the elevator doors opened and allowed her to view other people.

'_I hate being by myself,'_ she reflected, following the pathway that led to the tram.

'_It makes me think too much.'_

When the tram door opened, she took a slow step on.

Grabbing a pole, she gripped the cold metal tightly. She then took the time to survey her surroundings. There were only two other people on the train, and they weren't sitting together.

Her eyes, with nothing to stare at, darted to the elevator.

She saw a pretty woman step out, her hands filled with a few bags. There was a young boy beside her, who didn't look to be in middle school yet.

In fact, they both looked a bit out of place…and quite unsettled.

She watched the woman say something to the boy, who had stopped, as though reluctant to take another step.

The woman smiled kindly at the boy, but Kagome couldn't tell what she was saying.

When it looked like the boy would follow, she turned around.

Only to catch her foot on the pavement.

The bags went flying, and Kagome didn't like the angle at which the stranger had landed.

Right before the doors slid shut, the young woman managed to squeeze out.

She flew across the pavement, barely avoiding a fall herself.

"Are you alright?!"

The woman looked up, a grimace on her face, though her eyes were confused.

"Y-yeah," but she was cut off by a wince.

Kagome knelt down to help.

"Let's get you into a better position," she whispered.

The stranger nodded.

Kagome looked very carefully at the poor woman.

Her right foot was bent awkwardly next to her left one; her hands were palm down…the only thing holding her up.

"Okay…Miss, could you lie on your side, while I gently hold your right leg?"

She looked hesitant, but nodded.

Very gently, and with much difficulty, Kagome managed to get a hold on the leg, while this stranger slowly turned on her side.

She winced a bit, and her face contorted in pain, but once she was on her side, they easily transferred her so that she was lying on her back.

"Are you doing okay? I'm so sorry if I've hurt you…" Kagome came to sit beside her.

"No," the stranger smiled slightly, "I've had to deal with worse pain than this."

While she couldn't say that she was happy for her, Kagome was a little glad that she hadn't killed someone by helping.

"Would you mind if I asked your name?" the injured woman asked, curious.

"Oh, it's Kagome Higurashi. But you can just call me Kagome." She smiled.

"Thanks, Kagome. Mine is Sango Taijiya, but you can call me Sango."

"And that," she nodded to the boy, "Is my little brother, Kohaku."

"Hello, Kohaku." Ms. Higurashi smiled at the shy boy.

"Kohaku," Sango held her head up briefly, "Could you please help me up?"

"Oh, are you sure?" Kagome asked gently.

"Yes, I have a job interview that I need to get to. It's inside the hospital."

"Okay, but let's get you on the bench first, alright Sango?"

The woman nodded, sitting up on her own.

"Kohaku, could you please hold her leg while I lift her from behind and onto the bench?"

The boy nodded, dutifully and carefully taking his sister's injured leg.

"One, two, three!"

Sango was now on the bench, albeit roughly.

Her long, chestnut brown hair was a bit disheveled, but it was in a low ponytail, so she still looked fine.

She was wearing a pink blouse and a long green skirt, both of which were still intact after the ungraceful fall.

"Thank you both," she breathed, as her body was slightly sore from Kagome's lifting.

"You're very welcome!" she replied cheerfully, pausing to wipe the sweat from her brow.

"Do you think you can walk at all?"

"Well, let's see," Sango spoke while getting up.

She lost her balance for a split second before Kagome caught her.

"How about I help on your right side?"

Sango looked shocked.

"You don't have to help me. I'm sure you have your own appointment to-,"

But Ms. Higurashi shook her head firmly.

"I'd rather help you. After all, a job interview is much more important than a standard pulmonology appointment."

"Do you have lung problems?" she couldn't help asking.

"No," she answered, putting Sango's right arm over her shoulder.

"Just a small asthma attack when I was in the third grade. I haven't had one since, but all the same, I have to see my pulmonologist once every six months. Just to make sure I'm doing okay."

"Ah," Sango answered.

The tram pulled up, conveniently at the right time, and Kagome helped her new acquaintance onto it with a strange ease.

Kohaku was holding all of the bags, still silent.

She found them a seat close to the door, and helped Sango to sit down.

Kohaku took the seat on her left, while Kagome took the seat on her right.

"Well, at least you picked the right place to hurt your foot, right?" the teacher commented with a small smile.

Sango nodded her head; she too was smiling.

"It's a gift, I guess."

They sat in silence until the tram began to move forward.

Kagome stared at the floor, breathing in and out slowly.

She hated the tram; especially when it was so devoid of people. The air conditioning was turned up too high, as usual, and the cold metallic feel of it all made her feel slightly sick.

Maybe it was just the hospital 'clean smell' of it. It all felt much too fake to be real.

"You're pretty strong, you know?"

Kagome looked up to reply to Sango's comment.

"Really?"

"Yeah," she smiled.

"What do you do for a living?"

"I'm just an elementary school teacher. A third grade teacher, to be exact." Kagome smiled back.

"Wow. I hope they stay on your good side. You could probably chuck them out the window, with your strength."

The young teacher chuckled at that thought; though she imagined chucking Inuyasha out the window, instead of her students.

"No, they're all good kids."

Sango smiled with a nod.

"What are they interviewing you for at the hospital, if you don't mind my asking?"

"Oh," she stared straight ahead, "Just a job working at the gift shop, and maybe bringing meals to sick patients. Stuff like that."

"Do you want to be a nurse?"

"No."

Kagome looked at Sango, curious about the tone of voice she had used when denying the job.

"I'm actually a police officer."

Ms. Higurashi's eyes widened.

"You're a police officer?!"

She had never met a _female_ officer, before. Or, maybe she just hadn't paid attention.

"Why do you want to change professions, all of a sudden?"

Sango frowned slightly, and turned her face to the ceiling.

"It's…a long story."

--

Let me answer: "I've got time." Sorry, couldn't resist.

Well, I lied. Sango made her entrance! Thank the lord...Miroku is getting dull by his lonesome. He needs a playmate (doesn't mean that suggestively!)

How was it? I hope they were OoC...but they tend to come off that way at times. I apologize if they were.

I'm glad you guys are liking it so far (watch me ruin it after saying this...heh.)

Please leave a review, if you want (I love it when you do!), especially if you like something, want to see something (except lemons...I will consider story suggestions), or want me to improve on something!

Have a Great day!

Byebee:3

TohrutheGreat


	9. Chapter 9: A Change in Course

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or pocky. But I do own some merchandise of both, and that's somethin'! Not really, but, you know...!

This chapter is dedicated to my best friend, Kagetora no Tsume. Thank you for supporting me through thick and thin, and for being an amazing person who can listen to my sugar-fueled nonsense for hours at a time. Rock on!

Enjoy!

--

_The streets were silent, the sun just beginning to set._

_In the quiet light, she walked alone, as she was accustomed to doing._

_Though there wasn't much crime at this time of day, this particular woman had observed that it couldn't hurt at all to be prepared._

_Of course, that was partly a reaction induced by herself._

_In her gleaming gray shirt, silver pieces on the shoulders, she was an intimidating sight. Looking at her companion, a large, old-fashioned club, one could assume that she was a strong individual of her sex._

_Her eyes fluttered closed slightly; she had awoken early that morning._

'Crime just can't start when you're already awake,' _she trailed off, forcing her eyes to open fully._

_Nothing appeared to be happening, and she rounded a corner into an alley, hopeful that today would be a day that broke its usual mundane schedule._

_She walked to the very back of the alley, brown eyes darting to both sides of the ancient gray stone. They darted up, down, and around, as if expecting to see something._

_When at last she stood against the filled trash bins in the back of the open tunnel, she took the time to breathe._

'Oh well…everyone has a day like this…so slow…'_ she sighed, opening one of lids; double checking._

"_Hello, beauty. What'cha doin' in a dark alley all alone?"_

_She whipped around, eyes ablaze with delight._

"_Your timing is impeccable…I was beginning to lose faith in you scum."_

_Flashing a toothy smile in her direction, he proceeded forward._

_She smiled back, though with a hint of annoyance._

'I always get the dumb ones…'

_He must have been really dumb; he still didn't seem to notice her uniform. Or, maybe he did. Sexism was a familiar face where she was concerned._

_The power of underestimation would be his undoing._

'Alright…let's see if I can educate him-!'

_He withdrew a switchblade from his pocket, and she wasn't at all surprised when he flashed it to her throat._

"_Well now…lass," he pushed his face into her hair, and she caught a whiff of his foul breath._

"_Whaddaya say we give you a trim?"_

_She only smiled before kneeing the bastard in his weak spot._

_While he wailed, she withdrew her club, bringing it squarely down onto his head._

"_Aaah! Aaah! You little-!"_

_But, he didn't finish; she had him handcuffed in three seconds flat._

"_I don't think I'm your type."_

_That was all he heard before she clubbed him hard in the back of the head._

_--_

"_Sister! Hey, Father, Sango's back!"_

_A young boy of about eleven years ran down the small set of stairs towards the front door; a look of excitement on his face._

"_Hello,Kohaku!" Sango cried, allowing the boy to hug her tightly._

"_How was school?"_

"_Oh," Kohaku turned his head from her, a slight blush on his cheeks, "Great…just great."_

_She frowned, turning his face by the chin to look her in the eyes._

"_I thought the bullying stopped?"_

"_It…it did."_

"_Then why are you lying to me?"_

_The boy pushed her hand away, trying to ignore the hurt look in her eyes._

"_Please…tell me. I only want to help."_

_He sighed, deciding to reveal the truth._

"_They said that I…even though I had a police officer for a sister…and a father who's a police officer…"_

"_Yes?" she was intrigued._

"…_that I was…a sniveling little wimp…and a…coward."_

_He knew his sister hated that word: coward. _

_She glared fiercely in his direction, though not at him. Perhaps she was glaring at the children who had said this._

"_That's not true, Kohaku!" she cried, bracing her hands roughly on his shoulders._

"_You're very brave! You're no… no coward!"_

_He looked away, afraid to meet her intense gaze._

"_Sango…I'm sorry…but, I don't believe you."_

_She softened, gently tousling his brown hair._

"_Kohaku…you have to. Don't be afraid. I'll always be there for you. Don't let other people scare you. I'm here…you're safe."_

_She smiled gently._

"_You have to be brave…no matter what happens."_

_He nodded fervently._

"_I'll try Sango! I promise I will!"_

"_I know," she ruffled his hair once more._

'And one day…I'll be a police officer…just like you.'

--

_Sango turned on the small, elderly television in her room, hoping to catch her favorite show._

_She was instead, however, greeted with unpleasant news._

_A slim news caster with dark hair and bright make-up shuffled papers within her hands._

"…_In other news: a kidnapping has occurred in Ashikaga…"_

_Sango's eyes widened, and she leaned forward in her bed. The newscaster had spoken the city, Ashikaga. It was in this city that she lived._

"…_a young boy of about ten years was reported as missing last night. This has been the first kidnapping in Ashikaga since the Great Kidnapping Affair five years ago. Parents are strongly urged to have the children walk home in large groups, and to refrain from after-school activities if possible, in the mean time. And now we bring you a story on an amazing woman whose parrot can-,"_

_Sango turned it off. _

_Her fist was balled in anger. She remembered the kidnappings in Ashikaga…all too well._

_Turning off the lamp that stood next to her bed, she made a silent vow._

'I will find you…I promise.'

_--_

_It had been two months since the kidnapping, and he was tired of hiding in the disgusting city of Ashikaga._

"_Master…"_

_He turned his head softly; his gaze fell upon a horned demon with hideous violet skin and smoldering red eyes._

"_Yes?"_

"_This, Sango…she has discovered my role in the kidnappings. You must do something, or I will be linked directly to you!" his deep voiced boomed in the dark room._

_The man addressed nodded his head, a wicked grin falling onto his pale face._

"_Then I suppose… I must take action."_

_--_

"_Kohaku! Kohaku!" an anguished female voice rang through the city, her desperate cries unanswered._

_Sango gripped her club, tears filling her brown eyes and clouding her vision._

"_KOHAKU!"_

_He had been kidnapped…and she had let it happen._

'This is all my fault!'_ she cried, wiping the tears away frantically so that she could see._

'I'm such an idiot! I should never have gotten involved!'

_She ran down the empty street, the dark moon looking down on her without pity as her damp shoes crashed into yet another puddle of silver water._

--

"_Tell me boy, what is your name?"_

_Kohaku's eyes tried to make out his surroundings without success. The room was far too dark._

_All he was aware of was the tape that bound him to a chair, the large bump on his head, and the eerie voice that repeated the same question over and over again._

_Fear set in his heart like a knife stab._

_Mustering up all of his courage, he answered._

"_W-who a-are you?!"_

"_What is your name?" the voice asked yet again._

_Kohaku glared into the darkness, but quickly lost his bravery when he felt something cold against his throat._

"_I asked you…what is your name?"_

"_K-kohaku," he answered reluctantly…for fear of losing his life._

"_Kohaku…" the voice echoed darkly._

"_And are you indeed Sango's brother?"_

"_Y-yes! And she'll come for me!" he cried proudly, forgetting the blade against his throat._

"_Oh? Well, Kohaku, I'd like to return you to your home…so that Sango doesn't have to take all that time to find you."_

_But Kohaku hated the tone in which this stranger spoke._

"_Where do you live, Kohaku?"_

_The boy shook his head._

"_I won't tell you!"_

"_Where do you live, Kohaku?"_

"_I'll never tell you!" he repeated._

"_You will tell me."_

"_I will not!"_

"_Then perhaps you will tell me when I have broken your legs and thrown you in the gutter…where your sister will never find you?"_

"_I will not tell!" but his voice quivered slightly._

_The voice's owner took his chance._

"_You're afraid…"_

"_I am not!" Kohaku yelled viciously._

"_I think you are…"_

_The voice seemed to smile; though not a friendly one._

"_Goshinki, Musou! Take him to be tortured! And if he doesn't talk…kill the prisoner."_

"_What prisoner?!" Kohaku called, worried._

"_If you do not tell me where Sango lives…I will be forced to kill one of the children I have kidnapped."_

"_You wouldn't dare!"_

"_Oh, but I would," the voice spat maliciously._

"_You would have her death on your shoulders?"_

_Kohaku let the tears fill his eyes. _

_This was what she would have wanted, right?_

"_We… we live…"_

_--_

_Sango let the falling rain pelt against her forehead._

_She had let Kohaku down! When he needed her most…_

'It's because I pursued…_him_…'

_Now, she was trudging slowly home, hoping by some miracle that he had escaped. If he did...then…all would be…_

_But he couldn't…_

_She shut her eyes tightly, and balled her shaking fist._

'It's not safe…I can't get myself out of this one…'

_Sango gently lifted her head when she saw that her reliable feet had carried her without her knowledge to her own door._

_Her lip quivered slightly as she reached for the door. She would have to tell her father._

'Kami-sama, please help me…'

_But when she opened the door, her whole world collapsed._

_There was her father, lying in a pool of his own blood. He was clearly dead, and his life fluids had completely soaked through his clothing._

_Sango ran to his side, hoping upon all hope that by some miracle he was still alive, somehow._

"_Father, father!" she called, tears beginning to pool. She fell to the ground, shaking him as gently as she could in her hysterical shock._

"_Father, father, father! This can't be happening!" she wailed, balling her fists, no longer holding back her tears._

"_Oh, but it is."_

_She turned when she heard a disgusting voice behind her._

_Her eyesight was greeted with a man in a strange white…baboon cloak. She could only see his mouth; if this was any indication of his character, she knew he was vile._

_Fury clouded her eyes, and she nearly growled, "Did you murder my father?!"_

"_What would you do if I did?"_

"_I'd tear your heart out of your chest, you filthy bastard!"_

_He smirked even more, if that were possible._

"_Why did you do this?!" she forced her tears back, refusing to show weakness._

_He turned from her._

"_You were too close…and I couldn't have _that_, now could I?"_

_And with that, he bolted through the door and onto the balcony before leaping into the air._

"_NO!"_

_She chased him out of the house, and followed him into the air. But, she was just a second short, missing his cape by mere centimeters._

"_Damn you!"_

_Crouching on the balcony, she wept against her knee._

_First, Kohaku…then her poor father…_

"_Damn it," she sobbed, punching her fist into the concrete until her knuckles were sore and bloody._

_Then, she heard a slight shuffle behind her._

_Grabbing her club, eyes and fist cold and raw, she whirled around._

"_HOW DARE YOU!"_

"_S-sister?"_

_She stopped, realizing that she was about to beat her little brother._

"_K-kohaku…?" she whispered in disbelief._

_Then the tears amounted yet again._

"_KOHAKU!"_

_She clutched the boy to her, holding him tightly._

_It was then that she felt her uniform grow damp._

"_Kohaku…what…?"_

"_I'm sorry…" she heard in ragged breaths._

_The rain had ceased._

"_I was…a…coward."_

_--_

_As they boarded the plane, Sango silently watched the thin clouds in the distance shift and change before her eyes._

_Kohaku was already aboard, and she felt a slight pull of gravity; the wind whispered that she had a good cause to depart, and told her not to worry._

_The sky was a pale blue in the early morning, and it looked as though it might rain later._

'That's just as well…'_ she thought, her eyes clouding in an effort to veil her sorrow._

_Before she turned to climb the steps, she felt the first raindrop fall into her long, brown hair._

'So…this is good-bye?'

_She climbed the first step, then the next, until she had reached the very top._

'I will never let this happen again.'

--

Yeah...this was a long chapter for a back-story. But Sango's role in this story is pretty significant, as it is in the manga and the anime. Therefore, I feel that this was a necessary evil.

I apologize for the lack of detail...but you all know that I'm not usually that way by this point. (I'm trying though, in an effort to improve the story!)

What I try to do in my writing is not over-do too much. I'm a bit lazy when reading fanfiction, so if there is a humongo paragraph of just every little detail...I just skim it. I'm prefer dialogue (smiles). But, I try to give you guys a mix of both (little bit of description, little bit of dialogue). Just to explain a bit. I hope I haven't changed your opinion of me...(I am a horrible person, as I read the epilogue of Harry Potter...and didn't read the book...yeah...)

Well, anyways the kidnappings are extremely relevant to the story. I know the focus has shifted from girl and boy scouts to police and teachers and lechers, oh my! But don't worry, this has just been an incredibly long introduction of characters. It will be a girl scout, boy scout story, just you wait!

Thank you so much, old-timers and first-timers to this story! I would love a review (that's an understatement!) You all make my day when you review! So, if you would like pretty please do so!

Have a Great day!

Byebee:3

TohrutheGreat


	10. Chapter 10: Kagome's Offer

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or pocky. But you know what...(aww...I got nothin'!)

This chapter is dedicated to Dreaming of a Nightmare, who gave me my first review for this story. Thank you so much, for still supporting me! Long live Jack, the Pumpkin King!

Enjoy!

--

"…and that's how it happened."

Kagome's eyes flickered with each ray of sunlight that passed through the window on and off.

"…Sango? Are you…do you have somewhere to…stay?" she struggled for something to say.

Her new acquaintance's story had set that familiar nostalgia in her heart. What a horrible-no, that was an understatement!- unbelievable thing that had happened to this poor young woman.

'What if that had been my little brother, Sota?' she wondered, flinching at her imagination's realism.

When Sango hadn't answered, Kagome looked over at her.

A single tear slid down her right cheek, but she didn't even seem to notice it. Her eyes were so cold, so hard, as if used to this pain.

"I'm sorry, Sango. I'm so, sorry," she breathed, hugging the other woman to herself.

Sango clutched Kagome's sleeve, sobbing silently into her shirt. The teacher gently moved her fingers through her brown hair, trying to soothe the pained woman.

"Don't worry…please. You're not alone here," she whispered, continuing to smooth Sango's long hair, as a mother might do to her heart-broken daughter.

"Thank-you," she gasped.

She sat up, wiping her eyes gently. Leaning back into her own red-leather seat, she sighed, before closing her eyes.

Kohaku, had, during the recount, fallen asleep.

Kagome wondered if the young boy had taught himself to do that, or if he was just tired from the long trip they had made.

It was then that she realized how painful it must have been, for the young boy. To have been the cause of his father's death…

Kagome couldn't imagine the guilt.

'_But it wasn't your fault,'_ she called silently to Kohaku.

'_You were just trying to help someone else.'_

She took a deep breath, and leaned her own head back. Closing her eyes, she began to lose herself to the evil commonly called sleep deprivation.

And that was how they stayed for the remainder of their voyage.

Three strangers, asleep on a tram. All of their worries forgotten only in their dreams.

--

Kagome placed her keys on the desk that sat cozily sandwiched between her apartment door and her tall, white lamp.

When she saw that it was too dark, she moved a blind finger up to the light switch; not bothering to see where it was. She trusted habit.

The switch flicked up in one swift motion, and the lights shone with the fake luminescence of many watts of electricity.

Kagome wondered whether change could happen as fast as the flick of a switch; one minute, you're in darkness, the next, you're in bright light. How was it that simple?

She shook her head, realizing that analyzing every little thing, would, as her friends in high school had told her, cause her to lose her mind.

Chuckling at the thought of losing her sanity, she strode to the far right of the room, where the kitchen was located.

Setting her bag down on top of the counter, she pondered what to…eat.

Ever since she had started living on her own, without a room mate, for some reason, she always had trouble finding something to eat.

While she didn't pig out, necessarily, she did…eat with gusto, and in great quantities. But she was still growing, so it was okay! Besides, she was a teacher…always having to deal with children. If she learned nothing from the children, and she did learn a lot, it was to forget dignity while stuffing as much food in your mouth as you possibly could.

She smiled a bit, thinking about the way some of her students ate.

'_But none of them…'_ she reflected, _'…are as bad as Inuyasha.'_

At Sesshomaru's manor, he had showed no restraint when digging in.

"_Inuyasha," she called across the table, quietly, of course._

_After a million different grunts and slurps, she watched his face _slide_ out of a pile of mashed potatoes; gravy and rice all over it._

"_What?" he asked coldly, his eyes bulging._

_She chuckled before quickly slapping on a straight face._

"_That's not the appropriate way to eat! At least use a fork, or a spoon, or chopsticks, or something before you shove all of that into your face!"_

"_Oh? Well, pardon me, Ms. Polite," he snapped, picking up his set of chopsticks and promptly snapping them apart._

_He smirked, poising his tools._

_Then it began._

_She didn't know anyone who could shovel that much food into their mouths, and using only chopsticks. Covering her mouth, in an effort not to puke, she watched as his cheeks inflated…and kept inflating…_

_Finally, when he…couldn't fit more food in his mouth, he raised his eyebrows at her._

"_B-eh-er, we-henhhch?!" he managed to get out, though not without spraying a small amount of…_something _on those around him._

_Sesshomaru darted a glance at him; the luck of disgust on his face similar to someone who had been tricked into eating fruit-cake._

_Rin only smiled at the humorous pose her 'uncle' was in._

"_You look like a chipmunk!" she squealed, pointing a small index finger at Inuyasha._

_He glared, but no matter how much, he still looked comical._

_Kagome shook her head._

'_Good luck swallowing, idiot…'_

What an experience that had been.

She hadn't seen him really, since then, but she doubted that his charming character had changed much in a couple of days.

Opening the refrigerator, she scanned the contents quickly. Spotting a handy bag of lettuce and some instant ramen, she knew what would be sitting in her stomach for the next several hours.

'_I wonder how Sango's interview went?' _she thought while warming up a kettle of water for her ramen.

When they had pulled up to the station, Kagome had helped her injured friend out of the tram, and to an iron bench that sat just outside the long car's doors.

They were outside, and now that the sun was a bit higher in the sky, the heat came full force. Lucky for them, it felt good after being trapped in the arctic simulated tram.

"_Thank you for all you've done, Kagome," Sango smiled gratefully._

"_You've been a big help…"_

"_Your welcome! Is there…anything else I can do for you?"_

_But the girl shook her head._

"_No, I think we'll be fine," she nodded to Kohaku, who was dutifully holding their bags._

"_Do you have somewhere to live?"_

_Sango shook her head again._

"_No, but if I get the job, I'm sure I can ask someone where some cheap apartments are located. The real trouble is finding a school for Kohaku."_

_Kagome's eyes brightened._

"_I know just the place! If you want, I can see about getting him into the school I work for."_

_Sango's face lit up._

"_Would you do that? That would help me so much! Thank you, Kagome!"_

"_Oh, it's nothing. Is he…in sixth grade?"_

_She nodded. _

_But Kagome still felt bad about leaving, when Sango still had nothing definite planned out._

"_Tell you what," she said, shuffling through her purse._

"_I'll," she began, pulling out a piece of paper and a pen, "Give you my phone number. So, if you need anything, you can give me a call."_

"_Oh," Sango waved her hands in a refusing gesture._

"_I couldn't do that! Kagome, I wouldn't want to bother you."_

"_It's alright," she smiled, handing her the paper, "You won't be. And besides that, I just want to hear how everything goes."_

"_Well…okay," she smiled, going against her wishes and taking the paper._

"_I'll let you know if I get the job."_

_Kagome smiled, then looked at the clock that was sitting on one of the brick walls on either side of the bench._

'An hour late…not bad,'_ she thought, trying not to think about it._

"_Will you be okay, getting there?"_

_Sango nodded, looking at Kohaku._

"_He'll help me. He's a pretty strong boy…"_

"_Alright, then. It was nice to meet you, Sango," Kagome said, reaching her hand out._

"_You too, and thanks again," she returned the gesture heartily._

"_Give me a call if you need anything," she called over her shoulder as she walked away with a wave._

_She didn't hear Sango's whisper as she stepped out of ear shot and into the mass of people who were going about their usual mundane routines._

"_It's nice to know that…there _are_ good people like you in the world."_

--

"Oh, Hideki-sama, I can't love you!"

The woman in the exotic purple feathered hat exclaimed this with as much passion as her bad acting allowed.

"Seruma-chan…"

The thin man with barely any fat on his cheeks moved a skeleton-like arm around her shoulders, bringing her close to him.

"Oh, Hideki-sama!"

"Seruma-chan…"

"Oh, Hideki-sama!"

"Seruma-chan…"

"…Hire a new screen-writer!" Kagome finished the sentence for Mr. Skeleton before tossing a piece of popcorn into her mouth.

She hated shows like this…completely comedic without even meaning to be.

There was an awkward pause between the two actors from hell, and she enjoyed coming up with different explanations for this.

'_I'll bet 'Seruma-chan' forgot her line…'_

"It's not that hard, lady! Just say, 'Oh, Hideki-sama' like you have for the whole movie so far! No one will notice!" she called before taking a sip of her soda.

'_Bri-i-ng! Br-i-ing!'_

Kagome's eyes widened with delight.

"I'll bet that's Sango!" she smiled, picking up the phone that lay next to her on a fluffy pillow.

"Hello?"

"Kagome?" the sound was a bit grating, from poor reception, but she knew who it was.

"Yeah, it's me, Sango! What's up?"

"I…uh…" there was an awkward pause, "…I don't…have the job…"

Kagome's heart sank at the news.

"Why-why not?"

She heard a sigh.

"They say I don't have enough 'community' experience."

"But-you were a police officer! Surely, that counts for something?"

"That's what I thought, too. But, they meant literally _this _community. I just got here, so naturally, I wouldn't have had any experience serving this one."

Kagome hated the disappointment in Sango's voice; she had suffered so much already, and now this?

"I'm sorry-,"

"It's fine…" Sango cut her off, "But…I was wondering…do you know of a cheap apartment complex I could stay at…at least until I find a job?"

"Well, there's…" Kagome put her index finger to her brain, and allowed it tap against her temple.

"Uh…"

She didn't want to tell her friend that there were no cheap apartments that were suitable for living in. Sure, there were some that cost next to nothing, but they weren't in the safest parts of town, and she figured that Sango wouldn't want to be in a high-crime place…since that was what she had tried to get away from in the first place.

Then she got an idea.

"Tell you what…" she began, and she heard Sango take a hopeful breath on the other line.

"Why don't…you stay with me…until you can find a job?"

She heard the girl's surprise, and worried if she had said something wrong.

"I couldn't-it wouldn't be right…I can't pay you much for rent, and I wouldn't dare free-load-!"

"Oh, you won't stay at my apartment for nothing…" Kagome had gotten an idea.

"Whatever you want, I can pay, but-,"

"…Sango? Are you…good at working with children?"

There was a pause.

"Well, enough…"

"What do you say you do me a favor, by living with me?"

"What is it, Kagome?"

She cleared her throat.

"Ever heard of the Miko Scouts…?"

--

Mwahaha! I take joy in cutting things off when they finally become relevant! You may all pick up your water balloons and chuck them at my head...but don't get my laptop wet, got it?! Feh, you fans.

So...I'm sure you all can guess where I'm taking this 'living arrangement' thing. I'm pretty predictable, I know. I blame genetics.

As for 'Mr. Skeleton'...I guess I have Jack Skellington on the brain. blink. Yeah...my sister is a little obsessed with that movie...and it's her birthday soon...so, yeah. For some reason that reminded me of him. This information is unnecessary, yes, but I thought I should explain my illness (it's a good one, though!)

Alright, well, you know, please leave a review (look at foxfaery's reviews...they are pure gold! I love long reviews...melts.) Of course, I love hearing from you at all, so don't worry about length too much. If anything was confusing, also, please let me know. If you do, you'd be rescuing this story o' mine, because if it's a major mistake (such as inconsistencies, situation changes, character mess-ups, etc...) I'd rather correct it early on where it can be fixed. Thank you all so much for reading, and for just plain clicking on this page! I appreciate your support so much, and I love you all! Incredible readers, ye be!

Have a Great day!

Byebee:3

TohrutheGreat


	11. Chapter 11: Of Acceptance and Rodents?

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or pocky. But I won't let that get me down, no Sir!

After a ridiculously long wait...

Enjoy!

--

"Seruma-chan…will you really marry me?"

"Oh, Hideki-sama!"

"Seruma-chan…"

"Oh, Hideki-sama…"

Miroku sighed, his face cupped in the palm of his hand as he sat on the floor watching a beautiful soap-opera.

Some might laugh at the over-exaggerated love stories that appeared on the television at such an hour, but this particular man felt differently.

'_If only it were that easy…'_ he sighed wistfully, _'…to find one woman who would do anything for you.'_

Standing up, he decided that since the wedding scene would most likely depress him, this was the perfect time to take a much needed bathroom break.

A minute later, he exited his favorite room-as it had the best...or, what some might call the worst, reading materials on the earth.

Sparing a glance at the television set, and seeing the eternal wedding with colors straight out of an exotic bird catalog, he turned towards the kitchen.

"Time to wash some dishes!" he exclaimed, in an effort to pretend that he'd of course rather be at home watching a movie not even his mother would have liked, than out on a romantic evening with a beautiful woman.

As he picked up a dirty bowl, filled with the contents of his barely touched dinner, he caught a glimpse of a car pulling up next to the sidewalk.

At first, his mind reached the conclusion that it must be Inuyasha, wondering what he was supposed to teach the scouts.

However, on further interrogation, he came to the conclusion that unless Inuyasha's car was suddenly a beautiful, brand new, unstained white Mercury Milan, he was dead wrong.

Squinting his eyes to see who it was in the dark, he suddenly felt as though the great Buddha was smiling on him at last.

There, stepping out of the immaculate car, was the most immaculate woman he had ever seen.

The way the light from the street lamps fell upon her dark brown hair with a simple elegance, and the way her intelligent brown eyes shone like the forests of Nirvana, captured his heart immediately.

'_Perhaps I should have listened to Mother and become a romance novelist,'_ he dreamed, not daring to retract his gaze for fear the vision would disappear.

All was well…until the boy came out of the car.

'_She-she's-,'_ Miroku's eye twitched sorrowfully, _'Attached and has a son?!'_

He sunk to the floor, not caring that he had spilled his left-over rice into his lap.

Just when he felt like banging his head against the cabinetry, he heard Kagome's door open on the other side. Her apartment was to the left of his, and their living rooms were side by side.

His heart leapt with a joy he thought he had lost when he didn't win 'most datable man' in high school.

The strange woman must be Kagome's guest.

'_Well, of course,' _he thought, striding over to turn off the television, _'Beautiful women always travel in groups.'_

Once he had turned it off, he put his keen ear to the wall, in order to listen to their conversation.

"I'm…you…find…okay," he caught only every other word Kagome spoke.

"Oh, well…yellow…easy…see…in the dark," he heard what must have been the other woman.

Even her voice was beautiful!

'_It's time for my dirty little secret…' _he thought evilly, moving to the left of his television set.

There, behind a pot of fake bamboo, he had a treasure.

Moving the plastic plant aside, a hole in the wall was revealed.

It was about the size of a cork, and even though he had to pull a chunk of wall out whenever he wished to see, it was fool-proof! Kagome hadn't noticed this one…yet.

Sure, he had had to move the precious hole's location a few times, but they had been in obvious places before!

Pulling out the piece of wall, and getting onto his stomach, he managed to watch the two women and the boy converse at, albeit, a difficult angle.

"I've got two choices for your sleeping arrangements: you can sleep in my room on a pull out mattress, or, on the couch's pull out mattress. What will it be?" Miroku heard Kagome say to the two guests.

'_Please choose the couch, please choose the couch…!'_

"Kohaku, where would you like to sleep?" the stranger asked.

"I'll sleep on the couch, if that's alright, Sister."

Thank goodness, he was just her little brother!

"Okay, that's fine. So I'll sleep in your room, Kagome."

He saw his neighbor nod.

"Sounds great! Now let's get you two unpacked!"

"Oh-hang on, Kagome."

The beautiful woman spoke, and he was so caught up in the sound that he didn't even register the foot-steps that were coming closer and closer to his face.

"What is it?" Kagome questioned, slightly worried.

"It looks like you've got a mouse hole. Let me fix that."

"Oh-uh, wait that's not-!"

Suddenly he looked a long, thin needle in the eye.

"Aaaaah!"

He drew back just in time to avoid a permanent vision impairment in his left eye.

"Should I lay out a trap?" he heard his vision ask.

"No," it frightened him that Kagome's voice sounded malicious. "I'll just seal up the hole so the mouse can't get out. And if I see the mouse tomorrow morning…I hope it likes getting slapped and being shipped to the landlord's office."

"Why would-?"

But he had stopped listening at that point.

Quickly, he drove the piece of wall back into its hole.

Swallowing a gulp of fear, he began to survey his main room carefully.

Where would he put his treasure now?

--

The sun peeked gently through the blinds as Inuyasha rummaged through his closet.

"Where the hell is that thing?!" he demanded of no one in particular, filing through paper and cloth alike.

"_You'll never get a woman with your apartment being such a mess, Inuyasha…" _

"_Why would I want another…?!"_

"_Just saying…it's pretty disgusting. At least separate your trash into piles."_

"Stupid Miroku!" the half-demon glowered, eyebrow twitching as he remembered his friend's words of wisdom.

'_Some wisdom…coming from a guy who probably steals his students' underwear! Dirty pervert…'_

He made an effort to convince himself that he was a much better person than Miroku, but the stupid voice in his head just had to mention that said man would probably never have lost the crucial paper.

"This is perfect!" Inuyasha muttered darkly while slamming his fists to the ground in defeat.

He was then greeted with a yelling sound from the little old lady who lived right below him.

"Yeah, same to you, hag!"

Standing up, he decided that he would just have to make a humiliating journey to Miroku's apartment. He groaned.

That meant he would probably run into Ms. I Ate a Big Bowl of Sunshine for Breakfast!

"Whatever," he mumbled, gripping his car keys from the small table near his door.

Everything was going great until he slammed the door…and the table fell to the ground.

Digging his claws into the palm of his hand in an effort to stay somewhat in control, he recalled that if he was going to slam the door…perhaps he shouldn't own a weak little table whose legs were being held up by old books that he had never bothered to read.

"Dammit…stupid……..table," he growled, walking down the seven flights of stairs and into the parking lot.

When he reached Tessaiga, he felt his irritation begin to ebb.

His car already sucked so bad that any damage that might be inflicted couldn't change its current state!

'_Wow…I'm not usually _this _optimistic,'_ he blinked, opening the car.

As he sat down, that feeling faded.

His gas gage was on empty.

--

This was the first time Kagome had ever really made breakfast, so she regretfully sighed when she caught a second glimpse at the burned bacon.

'_It's the thought that counts, right?' _she tried to question herself.

Kohaku was already sitting at the small table, picking slowly at the bacon. He would never tell her that it was barely edible...and she was already working so hard to help them. His stomach would survive.

The bathroom door suddenly opened, and there was Sango, wearing what was probably her best outfit: a navy suit that lent her a professional appearance.

"You look great, Sango! I'm sure you'll make a really good first impression!" Kagome called.

"I hope you're right," Sango sighed, pulling a chair out from under the table and taking up residence in it.

"Sorry about the bacon," the teacher blushed, "I normally don't make breakfast…"

Kohaku looked at his sister; passing a silent message to grin and bear it.

But, she was planning on eating it anyway.

"I'm just going to finish getting my stuff ready, and then we can head out," Kagome told her guests before walking into her room.

The two siblings crunched in silence; it would be a while before things could begin to return to normal.

When their host returned, she was carrying a heavy-looking bag that must have been filled with children's homework.

"Are you ready for your first day of school, Kohaku?" she asked excitedly, her face genuine.

"I-I suppose so," he answered, looking at his plate.

Kagome frowned slightly.

'_Poor Kohaku…I hope he'll make plenty of new friends…'_

"Alright then! Let's go and get you enrolled!"

The three residents filed neatly out of the apartment, and were soon heading to the parking lot. At the same time, fate's fool was also walking in that direction.

This was his chance, after all.

"Hello, Kagome!" Miroku called, somewhat nervously, coming to walk next to her.

He was greeted with a glare.

He pretended he hadn't noticed.

"And, who's this?" he asked with a smile, referring to Sango.

She continued to glare, but answered reluctantly, "This is my friend, Sango. And that is her little brother, Kohaku."

Sango blinked at the stranger, waiting for Kagome to introduce him.

But, they kept walking, and the teacher didn't acknowledge the man any further.

Once they had gotten to her car, Miroku finally intervened.

"I'm your next door neighbor, and my name is-,"

"-the rat," Kagome finished for him, closing her door.

--

"How'd the job interview at the office go, Sango?"

Said woman smiled as she walked into her new friend's classroom at the end of school.

"I've got a job! I can't believe it!"

Kagome's eyes twinkled as she cleaned off the white-board.

"Principal Myoga was very nice about the whole thing," she spoke, taking a seat in one of the small desks with a tiny amount of difficulty.

Ms. Higurashi was ready to help: Sango's leg still bothered her a bit, though she got medical attention for it while visiting the hospital.

The former officer noticed, and shook her head.

"I'm feeling a lot better this afternoon, don't worry. Now," she began, eyes focused on the board, "What are we teaching the Miko Scouts today?"

Kagome gleamed, "I'm going to give the scouts an introduction to a long string of community service projects we'll be doing. Starting today, the scouts are going to learn about how we can start by helping in our local communities. My goal is to teach them that by helping locally, they can even end up affecting our global community.

"I also hope it helps to nurture budding leaders…especially from some of the quieter girls in the troop," she finished, leaning down to extract her hat from her teacher's bag.

"Good idea," Sango smiled, coming to stand next to the Troop Leader. "I hope I do alright with the girls…it's been a long time since I've even set foot inside a primary school."

Kagome stood up, in her hand a red sash and matching hat.

"Here," she passed them to her assistant, "…and you'll be great! They're all very sweet, and they'll be excited to meet you."

"These bring back memories…" Sango reminisced, putting her new hat atop her head.

"Really?"

"Mm. I was never a Miko Scout, but I remember my father telling me that my mother had gotten the Shikon Jewel, and then went on to be a Troop Leader."

The woman stopped, looking out the window.

"I suppose I would have been forced to join…if my mother hadn't died shortly after Kohaku's birth. But, in doing this, I feel like I've got something like an invisible bond between my mother and myself. It's…nice."

Kagome's smile returned again after the shared memory, and she began to write on the board.

'_I hope Sango finds true happiness here…these little girls are wonderful to work with, and even if I've had a bad day…they always manage to make me feel better.'_

Then, there was a small, but strong knock on the door.

Rin stood there, her long brown hair up in a ponytail-for a change- and a red hat neatly fitted onto her head. She wore a bare sash.

"Hello, Rin! How are you doing today?" Kagome asked, clapping her hands together with a smile.

"I'm excited! I can't wait to show Lord Sesshomaru all the badges I earn!"

"I'm glad you're excited," the teacher replied, moving to her desk and opening one of the drawers. She withdrew a small, secured box, and placed it on the surface in front of her.

"Do you like stickers, Rin?"

"Oh, yes!" she piped up.

"Well," Kagome began, "Because you've been a very good Miko Scout, and you're here first, I'll let you pick out a special sticker."

"Really?!"

"Mm," she nodded, moving out of the way after opening the box.

The little scout skipped over and stood on her tip-toes, peeking inside the treasure chest.

She paused for a moment, hesitation clear upon her face.

"What is it Rin?" her Troop Leader asked, tilting her head.

"I was just….wondering…can I…pick a sticker for Lord Sesshomaru, too?"

"Sure! And tell him I said hello."

Sango was watching with an amused expression on her face. She had no idea who 'Lord Sesshomaru' was, but he sounded like he meant a lot to the little girl…albeit if his title revealed that he was slightly bossy.

Then Kagome remembered that she had yet to introduce her new friend in a slap-of-the-forehead movement. Well, that was rude of her!

"Rin, I'd like you to meet a new friend of mine, and the new assistant of our Troop. This is Sango Taijiya, and I'm sure she'll tell you what to call her," Ms. Higurashi gestured to the topic of her statement.

The girl looked up from the stickers, a smile on her young face.

"Hello, Ms. Sango," she said with a wave.

"Hello, Rin. I'm looking forward to spending time with you and the other girls."

"They're all really nice! You'll have a lot of fun!"

Sango's eyes shimmered.

"I'm sure I will. You'll have to help introduce me though, I'm a little shy."

"Don't worry, Ms. Sango! I'll help you!" Rin promised with a smile before returning to her sticker scavenger hunt.

--

"Rin, will you please introduce the Scouts to Ms. Taijiya?"

The girl was well prepared for her duty, and though she was a bit frightened of addressing her peers, she mustered up all of her courage, and placed it towards the result of the task at hand.

Coming to the front of the room to stand next to the stranger in the class, she put on her best smile.

"Everyone, this is Ms. Sango Taijiya. She will be the Assistant Troop Leader. Please introduce yourselves and make her feel happy. Thank you," she finished, a slight blush on her cheeks.

Most of the girls returned the smile, and were now staring at the newcomer with a keener interest.

"Hello, Miko Scouts. You may call me 'Ms. Sango' or 'Ms. Taijiya', or whatever you want. A little bit about me: I just moved here with my little brother Kohaku, who is going to this school starting today. I've got a black belt in several different martial arts, I can't cook very well, and I'm pretty good at sports. But, my favorite color is pink, so I am a _little_ girly," Sango added at the end, catching quite a few giggles from the scouts.

"I hope to learn new things with you all, and to share my experience as well. Let's have a great year!"

The scouts applauded; Sango had a good welcome.

Once the applause ceased, Kagome came to the front of the room yet again.

"Alright, everyone, thank you so much for putting forth your best! I'm sure Sango is very happy. Now, I told you last time that we would start earning our badges today. Let ask you something, first. Have you all ever volunteered anywhere, or helped anyone with something they were working on?"

A small handful of the girls raised their hands.

"Good! I'm proud of you all! And for those of you who've never had the awesome experience of volunteering, you'll get it soon! We're going to start a bunch of projects. Are there any places you girls would like to help out?"

Koume raised her hand really high.

"Yes, Koume?"

"The animal shelter!"

Kagome smiled. The girl who owned a cat most likely loved animals in general.

"Good idea. Any others?"

Satsuki raised her hand.

"Yes, Satsuki?"

"The hospital! We can visit sick people who are lonely and sad."

"That's a nice one! Any more?"

None of the girls raised their hands after Satsuki; it was hard to beat 'volunteering at a hospital'.

"Those were some good ideas! And we will get to do them at some point. You'll get badges afterwards, if you're helpful and you follow directions." Kagome smiled, offering her encouragement.

"All of you are going to cover your sashes in no time, just you wait!"

Rin looked down at her own sash.

'_I just want to make Lord Sesshomaru proud of me…'_

--

"I'm not dead yet!" - hah. Monty Python.

I've been away forever! I'm so sorry for making you all wait so long!! And here I complain about authors not updating fast enough...sheesh I'm a hypocrite! I hope you all can find it in your big hearts to forgive me!

Just something I need to say: I've sort of tried to develop a policy (with the exceptions of one-shots) that I only work on one story at a time. However, I will be working on Iron Chef Inuyasha every once in a while (with a goal to get one chapter out once a month), without it interfering with How to Build a Fire (or HtBaF, as I call it). I apologize for twisting my principles, and I will do my utmost to continue to keep this story at the top of my priority list. Thank you so much for putting up with me!

Inuyasha's been absent for so long! I apologize for that as well! He is one of my favorite characters (he's so deliciously bipolar!) and he has a good heart beneath the tough exterior...he's just awesome! Sango's been stealing his 'camera-time'...sorry. I just wanted to make sure the Leaders and their Assistants were set up and semi-comfortable before I started to cook the meat of the story and pour the wine of romance. I've been watching the Food Network too much...my bad. Back to the doggie boy- I gave him about a page and a half or so of fun...or hell, whatever you call it. And I know he and Kagome haven't interacted that much, but that has been a huge result of my trying not to rush them head-first into a relationship (which is hard because I'm a devout InuKag fan). Don't worry- I love them together so fluff is coming.

About Kikyo...you'll find out about her fairly soon. Don't worry, there won't be much competition between the two girls...but I can't spoil it! Darn magic traditions!

This chapter is the longest I've ever archived for this story...so yay for that. I know it took a while, but I hope it wasn't an excrutiating wait (she gives herself waaaaay to much credit- bad Tohru!), or an excrutiating read.

IMPORTANT (well sort of, not really): I will be gone next week, on my first vacation in two years! Yes, finally! So, I made sure to update before I left, and hopefully when I return, I will be set to work on Chapter 12!

Please leave me a review, or don't...but I'd like it if you did! If I made any errors, or grammar mistakes, or anything that hurt your eyes, please let me know. You all make me smile from ear to ear when I read your reviews! I couldn't ask for better readers, and I wish you all the best in your writing and reading! P.S.- stay safe if you're traveling...and if you go to the zoo please don't stick your hand in the lion exhibit. You need your fingers to write and leave reviews! It would also hurt...a lot.

Have a Great day and a Great Summer Vacation!

Byebee:3

TohrutheGreat


	12. Chapter 12: Not Quite Just Another Day

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or pocky. But, if I ever do, one day, _**you**_ will be the first to know!

Yes, _**you**_!

Enjoy!

--

Inuyasha leapt out of bed on a sudden and impromptu decision.

He had beat the alarm clock yet again today, and while that might have been a downer to some, he was quite proud of this.

Today, nothing would go wrong!

As he got dressed speedily, he checked off a list of random things in his mind- the last of which was repeatedly assuring himself that he had in fact filled up Tessaiga's gas tank, and he had already checked at least twelve times before he had travelled to his room.

Today, he was going to have to ad lib enough as it was, and he needed to get that list from Miroku: the list that was the equivalent of a cheat sheet and would make his job a hell of a lot easier.

Not bothering to brush his hair before quietly sneaking out of his room, teacher's bag in hand, he travelled down seven flights of stairs.

So far, so good.

He tip-toed to his car, half expecting it to have slashed tires and broken windows- if only because he insisted God was trying to screw him over.

But, the car was uncharacteristically in semi-junk condition as usual.

"Whew," he breathed, unlocking the rusted car and slipping inside.

Shoving the key in the ignition with a twinkle of determination in his eye, he drove to Miroku's apartment complex with a new drive.

--

"Miroku? Hey, Miroku!"

The half-demon rapped his wrist sharply on the gym teacher's door, patience testing his nerves.

It would have been easier to just honk his horn, but he didn't want that pain-in-the-butt, 'goody-goody' woman (whom he was convinced had about as much real kindness in her as a politician), to somehow get caught up in his business yet again.

Tapping a foot on the ground, he only now began to notice how annoying the local birds' singing was.

'_I could really kill whoever's idea it was to give birds vocal chords!'_ he thought, glaring at Miroku's door.

He looked to his left, just daring her to exit right then and there!

But because he was so focused on his present task, he failed to notice the door in front of his face open suddenly.

There stood a woman with long brown hair, and she blinked in surprise as she got a good look at him.

Inuyasha blushed; Miroku had had some company last night!

"Oh- uh…is Miroku…uh, home, right- uh, now?" he asked awkwardly, scratching the imaginary itch at the back of his head.

"Miroku?! You mean that pervert?!" she asked, shocked- horror in her brown eyes.

"Yes, Miroku! He lives here, doesn't he?!"

"Is that what he told you?!"

"What's going on, Sango? Who's there-?"

Inuyasha's ears pricked at attention. It was _her_.

There was Kagome Higurashi, in what he assumed was her bathrobe, hair messy from sleep and eyes half-closed.

But they opened when she caught sight of him.

"What are you doing here? And why are you harassing my friend?" she asked, rubbing her eyes a bit.

"Harassing?! Look, why are you at-?!"

He stopped when he remembered an incredibly important detail.

Kagome's house was to the _right_ of Miroku's, not to the _left_.

Oops.

The humiliated half-demon shoved his palm against his forehead in frustration.

"Inuyasha…if you're looking for Miroku, he lives _that_ way," she gestured to her left, no trace of maliciousness on her tired face.

However, he was so ruffled, he would have accepted just about anything as an insult at that point.

"I-I know that, stupid! I don't need some woman tellin' me where to go, got it?!" he yelled.

Her eyes narrowed suddenly, and he regretted having acted so brashly.

Maybe because it was today…of all days…

"Is there a problem here?"

The three acquaintances turned to see Miroku walking up the steps towards them.

"Hell no!"

"Hell yes," Kagome corrected, glaring at him. "He forgot that you lived to the left of me, and now he can't live up to his mistake like a man."

"Why you-!" Inuyasha growled, flexing his claws.

"Alright, alright," Miroku slipped between them, waving his arms in a 'stop' motion.

Sango sighed, and turned towards the inside of the apartment.

"I'll just go back to getting ready now, if that's okay with-!" she began…before she felt an offending hand groping her behind.

_Slap!_

Inuyasha and Kagome winced at the sound of Sango's hand coming into contact with Miroku's cheek.

"Keep your hands to yourself, please!" she called angrily, slamming the door behind her.

Kagome sighed, darting a glance at her neighbor.

"Was that necessary? She's had enough excitement this morning," Ms. Higurashi pointed out, shifting her glance to the half-demon who somehow managed to be a jerk whenever they crossed paths.

"Hey- I'm not the one who groped her!" Inuyasha shouted defensively.

"You might as well have…there's enough tension in this air to cut with a knife," Miroku suggested with half a smile. "Now," he turned to his friend, "What did you come here to get from me?"

Inuyasha turned his eyes skyward. "Just…uh…the pointers…"

"What pointers?" Kagome asked, arms crossed over her chest.

Mr. Takahashi's face turned red, and he turned his back to her.

Miroku sighed, shaking his head. "Ms. Kagome, I'm afraid that I'm unable to attend our school's Youkai Scout Troop meeting, so the Troop Leader," he pointed at Inuyasha, "Is going to be on his own today."

Kagome's mouth was now agape, and her eye developed a slight twitch.

"Y-you mean," she pointed at her archenemy, "_He's_ the Youkai Scout Troop L-leader?!"

He turned around swiftly, not enjoying her implications.

"What'd ya' say that for?! What's so bad?!"

"Well," she began, "I'm just surprised that they let you do that-!"

"Because I'm a half-demon, is that it?!" he flinched at her words. "Is that it?!"

She was taken aback; she hadn't meant it that way…

"No- Inuyasha, it's not because of that at all-!"

But he was already stalking down the steps, his gold eyes firm from years of practice.

"Inuyasha, please, wait!" she called, wishing that he would stop and listen to her.

But he kept on walking, not even offering a glance back at her.

Miroku watched him go, disappointment on his face.

"I wish you two got along better," he offered to break the silence.

"Miroku," she faced him desperately, "You know that's not what I meant, right? I just thought that it was strange for a guy who probably doesn't even like kids to work with them and help them like this…"

Her neighbor nodded, a strained smile forming.

"But…he isn't used to that yet. To those jokes, I mean. I've been his friend for many years, and from that I've learned that he doesn't have it easy…at all. You need to be careful, and so do I. I think we all forget sometimes that he's wiser than he looks…and he believes he's wise in addition to that. He's seen people at their worst, and I think from experience, he forgets that not all people are bad…no matter how many times I might tell him."

Kagome looked wistfully after him.

"I'll apologize to him later. I don't like that we're this adversarial…"

Miroku smiled at her suddenly, and he no longer looked so sullen.

"I think he'd like that, Kagome. Though he may act like he doesn't and deny it, I think he needs a friend like you."

--

Inuyasha slammed the car door.

He shot a quick look into the mirror just above his head.

His cold eyes flickered uneasily, and he felt sick to his stomach.

"I thought," he began, looking at his clawed hand regretfully.

'…_that you were different.'_

--

"Where's the _good_ guy?"

Inuyasha glared sharply at Shippo.

"Right in front of you, dumbass."

The little fox demon pretended not to flinch.

"W-where?!" He instantly regretted saying that.

The thunderstorm that was coincidentally happening at that time added the perfect back-drop to the kitsune's terror.

"Listen _Shippo_," Inuyasha clutched the top of his student's head, "I don't _look_ like I'm in a good mood today, _do_ I?"

The Youkai Scout shook his head as best as he could, though it was painful to do so.

"Okay, then. So why do you find it _necessary_ to test my patience?"

"It's…fun?"

"Oh, well, is this fun?!" Inuyasha growled satisfactorily, digging his claws into Shippo's head.

The kitsune winced slightly, but the Troop Leader removed his claws before he drew any blood.

He came down to his student's eye level.

"Don't do it again, got it?!" he asked, picking the fox demon up by his tail.

The little demon glared for all that he was worth at the 'Evil One', before nodding reluctantly.

"Good."

With that he was dropped without any care to his seat.

"Ow! That hurt, idiot!"

The half-demon turned to look at him, eyes gold and deadly.

"You…you just don't get it, do you? Well then…"

And with that the fox demon was suddenly adorned with a tall, white dunce cap that covered his entire head.

"How'd ya' like that, stupid?!"

"Uh, stupid," his voice echoed from the hat, "It's a little too big. Did you use your head as a model? How fitting…"

Suffice to say, the poor child couldn't see out of his left eye for at least half an hour.

The other children watched in terror, completely helpless in the situation.

"Alright! Anyone else?!" their Troop Leader loomed out at them from behind his desk.

They all shook their heads in unison, hearts not daring to beat.

"Okay, today we're gonna' start talkin' about doin' a service project or two, so you ungrateful brats can earn a few pieces of cheap cotton! So, look _smart_!"

The boys groaned.

Now, they had lost yet another excuse to quit the Youkai Scouts. They were actually going to _learn_ something!

--

Inuyasha sat at his desk, finishing the grading of yet another difficult test he had forced upon his poor class.

Shippo sat at his desk, still, dunce cap perched over his small head.

The relentless teacher had made the decision to keep him there for an extra three hours! The fox demon had yet to complain; instead, thinking of ways to get back at the evil man.

The half-demon's eyes flicked nervously to the window.

'_Whew…it's still light out…'_ he thought, flipping to the last paper.

'_There's still time, before…'_

It was about seven o'clock, and it would be dark soon. He mentally cursed. Of all the days for Shippo to goof off…!

Once he was done, he stood up, and walked reluctantly over to his scout. He quickly pulled the hat off, and the kitsune squinted a bit in surprise.

"You're free," he said quickly, racing to gather up his materials before the school was locked.

The fox demon shrugged, and hopped out of his desk.

While the Troop Leader was shoving papers into his teacher's bag, the small boy stuck his tongue out at him, before turning and opening the door.

The half-demon ignored it with a small amount of patience, vowing to bust him tomorrow first thing.

--

When he got to the main floor of the school, he was shocked to see the kitsune sitting there, a large frown on his face.

"Why're you still here?" he asked, walking towards him.

"The door's locked. Nice going!" the boy glared at him, arms crossed over his chest.

Inuyasha groaned internally, dropping his bag and running to the door, desperate not to believe his student's words.

"You're wrong-," but he was cut off by the denial of that statement. The door was, in fact, locked.

"Dammit! If you had just…!"

"If I had just what?!" the fox demon dared, standing up defiantly.

Inuyasha yanked his student up by his large tail and shook him violently.

"We wouldn't be in this mess if you had just-!"

"Inuyasha, what's going on?! What are you doing to that poor boy?!"

The teacher's heart stopped. The situation had gone from bad to unbelievable.

There, standing behind them, was the only other person left in the building.

"Kagome…?"

--

So, hi. Sorry that it took a little while (what an understatement, eh?) to post this up. I just wrote this today after debating about what to put in this chapter, so if it's kinda weird, it's cause I was kinda weird today. Feh.

Here I go! To infinity and beyond! Oh yeah, it's that time o' the month kids! But you know what that means...right? A little bit of fluff that I've been unlawfully holding from you readers! How rude! For those of you who are like me and don't like a rushed relationship, but don't like to wait forever either, I hope the next chapter will sate your desire...

This chapter was a little less...funny. I'm sorry if I didn't get any cardboard cut-outs to laugh, but I think what me and my sister call my 'crack' sense of humor has been all used up! My recent obsession with Gundam 00 has resulted in a collaboration of script and art on our part, and it's been fun. But, I can't let you all down! So, I put on my Super Writer cape and flew to my computer! (It's red...and purple!) With this particular chapter, I put more Inuyasha (who was desperately missed by all!) in, and dove into his sensitive side. I hope he wasn't too OoC, and though his comment about Kagome was a bit "rushed", I feel as though he captured that impression after the dinner disaster thing...whatcha' macallit (is that even a word? And did I even spell it right?).

Well anyway, I've been trying to go in a bit of a time-line to help me with this. This is around episode 13 of the anime (sort of), so Kikyo (in theory, anyways) should be, well, appearing soon. I know you all are curious (those who like Kikyo are wondering when she'll make her debut, and those who hate Kikyo are wondering how 'beatchy'-pardon my language- I'll make her), and I hope to make all things light and bright in the near future!

Sorry for ramblin', but it's late, and I'm a talkative human being, so you do the math (heart).

Please review if you liked it, or if you...uh...strongly disliked it! I'd like to know especially if I'm doing something really wrong or something really good, so don't be shy! I appreciate the fact that I have such great readers on my team! You all are wonderful, and if you bothered to read this author's note- God Bless you and heal your tired eyes! Feh.

Have a Great day!

Byebee:3

TohrutheGreat


	13. Chapter 13: New Moon and New Feelings

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or pocky. But, hey, if there's a legal loop whole somewhere...I'll letcha' know immediately, as it is my civil duty as a member of the anonymous fan-guild of Inuyasha!

(laughs heroically)

Enjoy!

--

"Yes, it's me. Now what's going on here?"

Inuyasha winced at the thought of not only having to spend the night with Shippo, but with Kagome as well.

He sighed, dropping his student to the ground with a thud. After doing so, he decided it would be a good idea to answer her question.

"How do I put this…hm, uh, we're kinda' locked in!" he shouted, smirking in satisfaction when he saw her blanch slightly.

"Are-are you s-sure?" she asked, dropping her bag and rushing to the set of doors.

"Yep, positive."

Kagome looked at her feet, a melancholy look on her face.

"It's not usually locked this early…" she began, turning to face her fellow teacher.

He shook his head, taking a seat on the cold, dirty floor.

"Well…judging by the crap on the floor- I'd say the janitor decided to take today off…again. And Myoga isn't the type to let a person know he's-!"

She groaned, slapping the palm of her hand sharply against her head.

"Inuyasha…he did let us know this was happening…"

The half-demon had a gut feeling Principal Myoga had announced this yesterday…when he had been dealing with his car trouble.

"Damn!" he cursed, hands clutching his knee-caps as he sat criss-cross.

"Um…ma'am, excuse me, but…"

Kagome turned to see the little boy Inuyasha had been trying to kill. He looked frightened, though he blatantly attempted to hide it from her.

"How are we going to…get out of here?"

Her eyes softened. She didn't want to be the one to tell him that the whole system was shut down, meaning: no telephone service, no lights, no nothing. There wouldn't even be a security system thanks to the janitor's self-decided holiday.

She squatted down to his level, and gave him a sad smile.

"I'm sorry, but…we're going to have to spend the night here."

He nodded; clearly he had considered and assumed this possibility.

"So, then…what are we going to-?" But Kagome saw that her hanyou companion was gone. "That's weird…" she observed, looking around.

"Maybe he's in his classroom…"

--

Inuyasha sloshed as much water against his face as he could pick up with his hands.

Looking into the slightly fogged up bathroom mirror, he saw that he still appeared a half-demon. But…he wouldn't for too much longer.

And then what?

He hated having to think about how he was going to just show this to Kagome and Shippo.

Growling in frustration and cursing his now fervent belief in karma, he realized that it'd be best to just get it over with and spill the beans.

_Crash!_

Though his hearing wasn't as sharp on this day, he could clearly make out the breaking of one of the school windows.

His stomach lurched at the realization that came with it.

_Kagome!_

--

"Oh- he's not here!"

Kagome was losing her patience with the situation.

"We need to stay together right now! What was he thinking…just running off without telling anyone! I could-!"

But Shippo cut her off.

"Ms. Kagome, did you hear that?"

She blinked in curiosity.

"Hear what?"

"I thought I heard a window break…"

Kagome's pulse quickened as she realized what was happening.

Someone was breaking into the school.

'_Inuyasha, hurry!'_

--

As he ran to the spot where he had left them, Inuyasha began to realize just how stupid it was to desert them.

He couldn't stand either of them, but still!

'_It's not like I counted on this happening,'_ he reminded himself, before turning the corner into the lobby. It was just as he feared.

'_They're gone!'_

Frustrated and unconsciously worried, he ran up the nearest flight of stairs.

He prayed that Kagome was smarter than she looked, and had checked his classroom.

Inuyasha rounded another corner at the top of the staircase, and did a quick turn- classroom in sight. Sure enough, peeking nervously out, was the woman he had been searching for.

She smiled with relief when she caught sight of him.

"Inuyasha-!" she called, but her face instantly contorted into one of terror.

'_What the-?!'_

But his question was answered when he felt a blunt object meet the back of his head.

He landed to the floor with little padding, and winced slightly at the sharp pain he had acquired on his crown.

'_Dammit! Why didn't I notice it?!'_

There was no time for regret, however, for as soon as he saw the man dressed in black run towards Kagome, he sprang into action.

"Don't you touch her-!" he growled, tackling the man down before being ambushed from behind. There were more men dressed all in black- and they outnumbered him by seven.

A switchblade came into contact with his back, and he inhaled sharply.

Turning, he attacked the man who had dared to come between him and the girl who needed him most at that moment.

He punched and kicked as best as he could, willing the last of his demon strength to this cause.

But he didn't smell, or notice the poison that the ring-leader rubbed on his own blade.

Kagome did.

"Inuyasha- he's got a poisoned blade- run!"

_Slash!_

Too late.

The half-demon crumpled to the ground. He couldn't give up.

Using the last of strength, he rushed to his classroom door, leaving a trail of deep red in his wake. He quickly pulled Kagome in, shutting the door and locking it.

Inuyasha collapsed to the floor, just as total darkness fell through the window.

Kagome, thinking fast, tried desperately to push his desk to the door. She managed to get it in front of the heavy wooden rectangle, thanking whoever's idea it was to design them especially for forced entry situations like this.

"Alright…that should hold them-!"

But her triumph was short lived. There, on the floor, lay not a hanyou- but a black haired man…and he was bleeding to death.

"Inuyasha! You- you're a-a human!" she called, desperately rushing to his side, tears in her eyes.

He blinked up at her, only half aware of what was going on.

"The poison- the poison!"

It wouldn't have bothered him if he were in his normal state, but as a human, he was so vulnerable.

"Shippo-!" she called the student by name, "Get my first aid kid out of my purse, please!"

The little fox demon rushed to do so, and in the mean time, she held his hand in her own, squeezing it periodically.

He would wince, and shudder, but when she squeezed his hand, he calmed a bit.

She willed him to make it- determined to keep him alive and well.

Once she had her first-aid kit, she dug around for her package of fever depressants.

His head was burning up, and he had accumulated a thin layer of sweat on his brow.

She sat him up as best as she could, and managed to slip the pill in with some of the water from the water bottle she always kept handy in her first-aid kit.

He choked a bit, coughing as it went down.

Kagome gently laid him down, and allowed him to close his eyes.

But, they didn't stay closed for too long.

--

After about two hours, he opened his eyes a bit, shuddering as he did so.

There was Kagome, handkerchief at the ready, her eyes tear-filled.

"I'm sorry…" she whispered, "Did I wake you?"

He shook his head frailly.

"Inuyasha," she asked, "Why didn't you tell me it was the time of the month when you turn into a human? I would have never let you go off like that…"

"I've never told anyone…when it happens…so why would you be any different?" he choked out.

"I thought you could trust me! I'd never hurt you…so why…?" she questioned him, feeling slightly betrayed.

"I didn't really have the chance did I?!" he managed.

That made her silent.

"Kagome…back then…why were you…crying?" he rasped.

"Oh," she looked surprised. "I…well, I was afraid that you were going to die!"

"Feh, that's stupid," he commented, though on the inside he had a feeling he couldn't quite explain.

"What's with you?!" she cried, gripping his shirt sleeve. "I was just worried! How can you say that…?"

"…" He was silent.

"Inuyasha?" she asked quietly.

"If it's not too…much trouble…can I lie on…your lap?"

Kagome blushed, but answered.

"Oh, sure."

--

As he lay on Kagome's lap, he began to catch a better whiff of her scent. He couldn't quite put his finger on it…but there was something so familiar about it…though, he knew he had never smelled anything that wonderful in his life.

"Are you more comfortable?"

He kept his eyes closed.

"Yeah."

Inuyasha felt her breathe a sigh of relief.

"Kagome…you," he began, not bothering to blush, "Smell…nice."

He felt her tense up at that.

"But-but I thought you hated me- especially after what I said this morning…"

"I…I don't _hate_ you. And if I said that…I was…lying."

He could feel her pulse quicken, and he put on a feeble smile.

"I'm sorry…about this morning. I don't mind that you're a half-demon. That doesn't matter at all. I just," she chuckled weakly, "Thought it was kind of funny. You don't seem to like kids at all…and yet, you're a Youkai Scout Troop Leader."

"Just cause' I signed up for it…doesn't mean I like it."

"I'll say- he's mean to everyone," Shippo piped up.

"Shut up- you!"

Kagome smiled a little. He seemed to be feeling better.

She closed her eyes, willing an uneasy sleep to come.

They had a big problem to deal with in the morning, after all.

--

"Let us in- half-breed!"

Kagome awoke to the sounds of banging and smashing on the door.

Wincing at their insults, she looked down at the sleeping human…still resting his head on her lap.

He had heard it too, for he slowly sat up, groaning a little in pain.

"Inuyasha, be careful! You're still hurt…" she pleaded, gently touching his shoulders.

"I ain't just gonna' sit here and let those bastards in! I've got to make sure the two of you get out of this alive!"

Shippo looked at him in disbelief.

"Yes, _you_!" Inuyasha shouted, annoyed.

Standing up carefully, he managed to limp to the door.

Kagome looked at the window, hoping sunrise would come soon. The sky was growing lighter by the minute, and in a short while, Inuyasha would be back to normal.

Just then, the door broke, and the men rushed in, forming a dark mass that surrounded the three.

Putting Kagome and Shippo behind him, the still wounded man desperately defended them as best as he could.

Kagome watched helplessly as he took blows meant for them, and acquired even more injuries. Then she got an idea.

"Shippo," she whispered, quickly bending down. "I need you to get out of this room and wait for Principal Myoga to come. When he gets here, have him call the police and get help!"

The kitsune nodded, mustering up all his strength.

None of the robbers even noticed him slip out of the door.

Inuyasha noticed, and was surprised that Kagome had stayed.

"I- thought- you would- go- too," he said between dodges.

She shook her head.

"I won't abandon you. Not when you're doing this for my sake."

He blushed, but continued to fight as much as he was able to.

But, the leader managed to sneak up behind him, and grab Kagome.

"Inu-Inuyasha-!" she called weakly as she struggled in the man's grip.

The man turned, angered to see the woman he was _trying_ to protect in the clutches of the ring-leader. Growling weakly, he charged.

However, the leader was ready. Before he could hit, the man held up a switchblade to her throat.

"Attack and the girl dies."

Inuyasha stopped suddenly, thinking fast. In the end, he was a lot nicer than he had thought. He couldn't attack.

The leader let go of Kagome, and approached Inuyasha. He grew multiple appendages from his body, like spider legs, and began to strangle him.

The Miko Scout Troop Leader tried frantically to get to him, but she was held by two other bandits. "No! Don't give up! Inuyasha? Inuyasha, please!"

He struggled faintly, but was powerless. His only hope now to defeat the demon was for the sun to come up…

--

Kagome watched as the first rays of sunlight appeared through the window, streaming down and lending shadows to the men in the room.

Inuyasha smirked.

This was it.

Much to the leader's shock, the man's body began to pulse like the beat of a heart, his hair bleaching more and more.

And, before he knew it, he was staring into a pair of dangerous gold eyes.

"You're dead."

--

Principal Myoga ran up the stairs as fast as he could, rescue squad and police men at his heels.

"Hurry Shippo!" he encouraged the small fox demon who was trying to keep up with him.

"I'm trying," the kitsune commented, annoyed.

When they reached the classroom, they found a group of bandits, bound and gagged. In the center, a half-demon and a human woman were standing side by side, satisfied.

Principal Myoga rushed in, careful not to trip as the police men secured each of the men in a nice set of silver hand-cuffs.

"Are you both alright?!" he asked in a worried tone.

Kagome nodded with a smile. "We're okay! But I think Inuyasha should go to the hospital. He got some nasty injuries trying to protect me."

"P-protect y-you?! Don't be ridiculous!" the half-demon choked out desperately.

But the Miko Scout Troop Leader only chuckled. "Thank you for doing that…I owe you big time."

The hero blushed, turning away from her.

'_Inuyasha…even if you forget what you did for us…I never will.'_

_--_

Oh dear...TohrutheGreat posted two chapters in two days! It's the apocalypse! Grab your children, your cows, your minds, and run! Run like the wind!

Feh. This is uncharacteristic of me. Where to begin? It wasn't stated in the chapter- it might be later on- but why was Kagome there, anyway? Random... Actually, she had forgotten something at school that day and coincidentally remembered it before the doors were locked. Oops. How does this happen? (I'd like to say the 'magic of hollywood' but I don't live in California and this isn't a movie...in fact it's more like a bad soap opera where the characters say each other's names every five seconds until they run a commercial- my dear friends 'Hideki-sama' and 'Seruma-chan' come to mind).

There was your fluff...(grumbles like a mean little old man). But you youngins don't get used to it, y'hear? Sorry...I'm actually not that good at writing fluff (I'm good at reading it, but...), and this chapter's fluff was based pretty heavily upon episode 13 of the anime (when he's a human for the first time in the series). This was a pretty corny adaptation, and I'm sorry if it was a boring read...but I tried.

I'd also like to give a warning so that we know ahead of time: as much as I say this every week, Kikyo will in fact be mentioned incredibly soon (yeah, yeah, heard that before, Tohru). While I am not Kikyo's 'biggest fan', I will not make her a total jerk in this story (in fact, she may at first be percieved as a jerk, but we'll get some concrete and plausible reasons later). I will do my utmost to do justice to her character. It'll be a challenge, but I want her to be balanced.

If I seem a little dry today...it's because I got some teeth pulled. Ouch. And I was writing pretty much this whole chapter with wads of gauze in my mouth and ice pressed against my numb cheeks...so, yeah. I hope to make further chapters more humorous and more traditional 'TohrutheGreat' style.

Thank you all so much for reading this story (and this author's note!). I appreciate each and every one of the things you have to say, and I genuinely try to give you fantastic readers a good, well, read.

Please review if you would like (especially if I made mistakes, wasn't consistent, made the characters OoC, or did something you like (so I can continue to do it)). You're the best!

Have a Great day!

Byebee:3

TohrutheGreat


	14. Chapter 14: Similarities

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or pocky. And I never will, so I'll have to call off those FBI agents. But I'll keep the hounds. I love dogs.

inuyashafan424567- Sorry it wasn't too eventful...I wasn't really sure of my footing on that last one. But, in this chapter, I tried to make it a little better. Let me know how I did. (I kinda' got a sense of deja vu too, when I was writing it- almost like I had written the chapter before...hm.) And you were right about the men-in-black (heh, that is punny)...

inuyashaluvskagome909- Don't worry! I'm not Kikyo's biggest fan- I'm InuKag all the way! And it'll be alright...you'll see...

Well, without further ado,

Enjoy!

--

A lone man sat in a dark room where the air-conditioning unit was turned up far too high for his liking. He had barely touched his beer, which still sat in the ice-filled glass he had managed to swipe from somewhere or another.

Savoring the last moments of peace before any of his informants entered, he formulated a reasonable excuse for his rash actions.

The door opened suddenly, and his sharp eyes quickly adjusted to the light that now cast his commanding shadow on the hard floor.

"What is the meaning of this?!"

The man smiled calmly at the intruding woman- though it lacked any warmth.

"Ah, well I supposed you'd be curious about that."

"Why did you send that division to infiltrate the school?! You knew they weren't ready for that kind of a mission! And now that they've been caught, it's going to-!"

"You misunderstand me. This was never about any mission, Kagura."

"Wha-what?!"

The man didn't even flinch at the discord in her voice.

"It was more like a letter, of sorts. Now that Sango's run away, I have to let her know I'm back at large."

"But," Kagura began, "That _Inuyasha_ person is the one who caught them!"

"Hm?" the man pondered thoughtfully. "What a pleasant surprise."

"Hardly!" the woman snapped, storming out of the room.

Once the door was shut, the man decided that now would be a good time to drink.

"Inuyasha, eh?" he questioned, bringing the firm glass to the edge of his lips.

"Well, won't this be interesting?"

--

When Miroku opened his door, he never imagined he could have been so lucky.

"Sango! What a pleasant surprise!" he cried, arms stretched out. "And what brings you to my humble and charming abode?"

She fixed him with a bit of a glare, but because of the situation, she would have to tolerate him for a little while.

"I actually needed to ask you something, Mr. Houshi."

"Oh, well how rude of me! Would you like to come inside-?"

"I don't think I'll look this gift horse in the mouth, thank you very much," she replied, removing his snake-like arm from her shoulder.

To sate his look of disappointment, she added, "My little brother is waiting."

"Alright then. What is your question?" he asked, phased.

Sango clasped her hands together as she confided in the man.

"You see- Kagome forgot something at school around six or so, and she went there to get it. She told me she'd be back in an hour or two, and that I could just go to sleep and eat whatever she had in the fridge. Well, I did that, and I thought she'd have come home but…when I woke up, her bed was still made and untouched, like it was the night before. I thought maybe she'd gotten up early, but she wasn't in the apartment and her car is gone. I don't know what she could have had to do that early, so…"

Miroku nodded, intrigued at the similarity.

"You know," he began, "It's probably nothing, but I never got a call from Inuyasha last night about how the Youkai Scout Troop meeting went yesterday. He was going to, but I wonder if he just forgot…"

"Does he like to stay at school late?" she asked, a new look in her eyes.

"Let's see…sometimes. Depending on how much work he gave his students. He's usually too lazy to commute homework and tests to and from his house, so he likes to stay after hours and get it done on some occasions. Why do you ask?"

"Miroku…I don't like to think about it…but…"

The man laughed when he realized the implications.

"Inuyasha? No way! He's too shy…no, that's not it. Well, maybe. But- I don't really think…" Miroku made an effort to reassure the woman of her friend's safety.

She didn't look terribly convinced.

"How about we go check their school," he offered, pulling out his car keys. "I'll give you _and_ your brother a lift."

Sango stared at the keys for a moment, debating whether it was safe to get in a car with a man who could probably cause an accident by trying to get too friendly with her.

But, in the end, she had no other choice.

"Deal."

--

Kagome sighed heavily as she and Inuyasha exited the school building along with the poor, traumatized fox demon, Shippo.

'_I didn't get much sleep last night…' _she thought with a blush, remembering how close she and the hanyou whom she had assumed didn't like her, had come to each other.

As she looked at him now, snapping at Shippo when the demon complained about getting an 'F' on the test just because his teacher 'hated him', she wondered if he could even recall what he said.

'_Maybe it was just the poison, but I could have sworn that he…well, that he…'_ but she couldn't bring herself to finish her mind's statement.

Inuyasha caught her staring out of the corner of his eye, and blushed a bit, much to the delight of his incessant, pint-sized tormenter.

She quickly looked away. Okay, so maybe he did remember.

Kagome decided now would be a good time to ask-

"There you are Shippo! I was so worried…"

The three all-nighters turned to see a short, slightly hunched-over woman approaching them- odd bell-covered stick in hand.

'_An exorcist?'_ she wondered.

"Was this _your_ doing?!" the elderly woman pointed at a bewildered hanyou, who was already frazzled enough as it was.

"Wha-what are ya' talkin' about, hag? I didn't do nothin'!" he defended proudly.

She eyed him carefully, before withdrawing a small pouch from her long robe sleeves. Before anyone could realize what was happening, she grabbed a pinch of whatever was inside, and threw it on Inuyasha.

He sneezed, and stumbled over, temporarily blinded.

"What was that for, hag?!" he yelled furiously, trying in vain to rub the offending powder out of his stinging eyes.

"For being rude to your elders," she answered, walking over to Shippo. "You okay, kid?"

The fox demon shrugged, but after looking at the already suffering half-demon, he gave a better answer.

"Yeah, for the most part! I got to help catch the bad guys!" he smiled proudly.

"What story are you talkin' about, runt?! I'm the one who did all the-!"

"Silence, and be gone, demon!"

He was once again doused with a good amount of powder.

Kagome shook her head. _'Tact is definitely not your forte…'_

--

Once Madame Exorcist was satisfied, and had departed with one of her many adopted sons, Kagome decided she would take advantage of the time she and Inuyasha were alone.

She innocently walked over, a slight blush on her cheeks.

"Say, Inuyasha," she began, looking at her feet. "Did you-?"

"Kagome, I've been thinkin'," he interrupted, surveying her curiously. "Why weren't you so surprised I was a human?" the hanyou whispered carefully.

Thwarted, she decided to give him an answer, at least…no matter how embarrassing it might be.

"Oh, well, that is…I…well, when I met you…I kind of did some…uh, research…on, um, half-demons…so…I knew that last night must have been-,"

But she was cut off when his clawed hand suddenly clamped over her mouth.

He glared at her sharply, waiting for her to realize what the implication of his movement was. Luckily, she wasn't as slow as she looked, and quieted down fairly quickly.

Removing his hand, he allowed her to question him.

"So, no one else knows, right?"

He nodded, wondering why he was being so patient with this girl.

'_Is it because of who you…remind me of…?'_

They had similar hair- the same pigment, though _her's _had been much longer. Their eyes were the same color, brown- but they were different. _Her_ eyes had been more clever, more calculating, and stare-worthy. Kagome's were not nearly so sharp, nor did they always seem to be meticulously planning. But her eyes were warm, soft, and transfixing. He tried not to look into them…no matter how nice it was to do so. To see straight into her heart; to tell if she was true.

Puzzled, she tapped his shoulder, willing him to look in her direction.

"Inuyasha…we really should get you to the hospital-," but Kagome ceased when she realized he hadn't heard a word she had just said.

As he looked into her eyes, he felt as though he were looking into _her's_ again. Those eyes that had seen him hurt, seen him rejected…seen him hated. Those eyes that had welcomed him when no one else would, albeit cautiously, and that had given him hope, no matter how futile it had been.

'_Is it you…come back to me?'_

Before he knew what was happening, he held the Miko Scout Troop Leader's hand in his own. She could only stare up at him, confused and entranced as his head moved slowly closer to her face.

'_Is it really you…?'_

--

Kagome looked into Inuyasha's golden depths, searching for any signs of disgust, hate, or spite. Strangely, she saw none of those.

Although…they held a strong sense of an emotion she had yet to know anything of. It was something she had never seen in a man's eyes…though it was something she was sure was incredibly familiar.

Was it regret? Or maybe…

Before she knew what was happening, she could feel his breath on her face, and understood what his intentions were.

In a moment of panic, she flung her arms out and pushed him away with all the muscle she had in her arms.

"Aaaaah! Inuyasha, I'm sorry, are you okay?!" she asked, panicking as she remembered he was still injured.

He grimaced in pain from the harsh and sudden impact, before darting angered eyes up at her gaze.

"And what the hell was that for?! What'd I do to ya'?!"

"I-Inuyasha…you almost…" but as she looked at his face, there was no recognition of what he had been about to do. The intensity of his eyes was a different one, and he seemed to have snapped out of some sort of trance.

"Almost what, Kagome?!" he snapped impatiently, standing up.

Face flushed and mind desperate to save what little dignity she had left, she waved her arms frantically in front of her chest.

"Oh- uh, nothing! Nothing at all! Hah-hah-hah!" she proclaimed heartily.

"Whatever," he replied, dusting off his pants.

"There's Kagome!"

The two teachers turned to see Miroku trotting in their direction, a slightly frazzled Sango and a relieved Kohaku at his heels.

"Oh, Miroku…_and_…Sango?" Kagome blinked, surprised at the pairing.

"Are you alright, Kagome?" Sango ran to her friend, visually assessing the damage.

"He didn't do anything…_indecent_ to you did he?" Miroku asked with a lecherous grin.

This of course received a slap from Sango, a scream from Kagome, a punch from Inuyasha, and a slight wince of pity from Kohaku.

"Of course I didn't do anything, indecent to her!" Inuyasha choked out, face red. "I'm not you, remember?!"

"Honestly," Sango agreed, stepping away from him.

"I'm sorry that I made you worried, Sango. I didn't have any way to contact you, or the police, because we were locked in the school…"

The woman nodded. "It's okay, I'm just glad you're safe! Although, I have to ask, what are all of these police cars doing here?"

"Well, uh, funny thing is-," Kagome began, "While we were locked in…some bandits broke in."

"And I made 'em wish they hadn't!" Inuyasha boasted, cracking his knuckles to add emphasis.

"What did these bandits look like?" Sango asked, eyes calculating a hidden equation.

"Oh, well, they were all dressed in black. The ring-leader was a demon…but I don't know about the others." Kagome answered her friend.

"Hm…what kind of demon?"

"I think it must have been a spider demon, because when it tried to strangle Inuyasha, it grew multiple appendages that resembled an arachnid's legs."

Sango's face twisted suddenly, and her eyes filled with a sprinkle of rage.

"What is it, Sango?" Miroku asked, curious as to why the air had changed so quickly.

"From Kagome's description…they sound a lot like the minions of the guy I was tailing…back in my old home."

Inuyasha and Miroku looked at her, not knowing what she meant.

Seeing this, Sango continued, "I was a police officer before I moved. I had been tracking down a man who I believed was responsible for all of the kidnappings…years back. I almost caught him, but…"

Kagome nodded; a sign that she didn't have to speak anymore…since it bothered her.

"Just outta' curiosity, who's this guy anyway?"

They turned to see Inuyasha, arms crossed over his chest, waiting for an answer.

"I'm not sure exactly what his real name is…but I did manage to salvage a few letters from incompetent cronies. They referred to him as 'Onigumo'."

"So this bastard is responsible for the kidnappings that happened all those years ago? Why hasn't he been caught yet?" the half-demon asked, ear flicking.

Sango shook her head. "If it were that simple, he would have been caught long ago, trust me. He started out in Tokyo…got help here and there. Lots of unfortunate women from what I've come to understand. And he's not responsible just for kidnappings here, and kidnappings there- he's also a felon for crimes of robbery, assault, arsony-,"

Inuyasha's eyes widened. He was suddenly much closer to Sango; eyes intense and infuriated.

"Did you say, arsony?!"

"Yes," she answered calmly, wondering what could have brought on her acquaintance's sudden interest.

"And he worked with women?! He lived in Tokyo five years ago?! He burned down apartment complexes?! He manipulated people?! Is that what he did?!"

Inuyasha was furious, fangs exposed and fists balled. His claws were so deep into his slightly tanned skin to the point that they drew trickles of blood.

Sango nodded, withdrawing away from him. "I'll check the records. If there's something you desperately need to know, I'll try. But, Inuyasha, he was a master arson. The likeliness of me being able to pinpoint an exact location of one of his crimes is a slim one. I hope you can understand that."

The half-demon moved his head to show he consented, but the disappointment on his face radiated with each breath he _didn't_ take.

Kagome watched as he suffered in silence- and whether his body was shaking from utter rage or from some deep sorrow, she was not sure.

"Inuyasha…is this about…?"

Inuyasha turned to his friend, Miroku.

"Yes it is."

He turned his eyes skyward.

"It's about…Kikyo."

--

Hah-hah! Cliff-hanger! You may all unleash your wrath upon me- I'm a good author and I won't run...no matter how many tomatoes ya' throw!

So- there's Kikyo- right up there (points at the last line of the chapter). I'm incredibly cryptic, eh? But I'm sure you all know who that was in the beginning sequence, and maybe have some thoughts about what transpired to make Inuyasha so upset. I'd love to hear what you all think about that one!

When I was writing the last chapter, I didn't feel horribly satisfied with it...so I'm sorry if it wasn't too great. But, I took that, and tried to give you guys an even better read than the last one!

This one had a fair amount of fluff (forgive me if it was partially Kikyo induced...), and I hope that it was a good read for all you InuKag people...and all you InuKik people (I praise you for reading a story marked as Inuyasha and Kagome -heart-).

But, yeah! Please send me a review to let me know what you thought of this here piece of interesting fan literature! I would especially like one if there was something I did wrong (mainly grammar mistakes, inconsistencies, and OoC-ness), or if there was something that I did okay on! I'd love to expand upon everything so that I give you guys a good twenty minutes or so (I'm a slow reader, so if you read faster than that, insert the time frame of your choice) of reading time!

Thank you all so much for continuing to support me with all of your wonderful comments and your eyes! I appreciate each and every one of you, so whether you're an oldie who's read this story from the get-go or you're a person with some time to waste who chanced upon this story o' mine, I whole-heartedly give you my best regards and happy reading and writing!

Have a Great day!

Byebee:3

TohrutheGreat


	15. Chapter 15 A Painful Past

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or pocky. But I got milk! (Ba-dump-chee).

Somebody please buy me a sense of humor.

Enjoy!

--

'The end of Chapter 14 is a key component of the story due to the fact that it dusts upon the element of foreshadowing. At the beginning of Chapter 15, in fact, we can see a few shaded similarities embedded beneath the surface of the text…'

_Sounds of pencils and pens sliding quickly across pieces of paper littered the classroom with an aura of emptiness._

_Honestly, he didn't really give a damn about notes. Or books, for that matter._

'Especially an annoying book with a plot that just runs all over the place and goes on forever and a damn day…'

_But he had to remind himself the true reason for his labors, what little they may have been._

_Looking to his left, then to his right, Inuyasha surveyed a surface view of what his classmates thought of this piece of crappy literature._

_There was Miroku, on his left. His best friend, through and through._

_The half-demon leaned to that side, trying to decipher what his pal was scribbling down. _

'Wow…he's actually writing the stuff.'

_He was saved from his disappointment however, when 'assured' turned to 'Asura-heart, heart'._

_Inuyasha smirked. Typical Miroku._

_Bored from that analysis, he darted his gaze back to the right. There was that kid whose name the half-demon could never remember…or talk to._

_They weren't on the same social 'line of text', to put it into relevant terms._

_Turning his golden eyes back to the board, he lazily blinked the written words back into focus. _

'I should at least pretend I'm taking notes…I guess…'

_But, as fate would have it, his hand would not have to suffer in such a manner._

"_Morikawa-san, are you…passing a note?" the teacher asked, turning his face away from the text covered board._

_The half-demon noticed the boy on his right's face pale considerably. So, the guy had tried passing a note in this class…not smart._

_The twinkle that sparked in the boy's eye managed alert Inuyasha that something was up._

"_Sensei, it wasn't me who passed the note," he began, rounding suddenly to his left. "It was Inuyasha!"_

_The accused blinked at first, not exactly sure what he had just heard._

"_You see, he passed it to me! He wanted me to get in trouble!"_

_The half-demon glared for all he was worth at the boy who had tried to blame him for something that he was clearly not guilty for._

'Like the teacher'll believe that shitty story! It wasn't even really in my direction!'_ he thought furiously, waiting for the verdict._

"_Inuyasha," the teacher began, a cold look in his eyes, "Just because you have an unnatural animosity towards your classmate, doesn't mean you need to drag conflict into my room! All you half-breeds do is cause trouble-!"_

_Inuyasha's eyes would have widened in shock…if he weren't used to it._

"_I've got no choice but to give you a detention."_

_He nodded, not bothering to put up a fight. His eyes flicked to Miroku, who was offering an apology through his gaze. _

_Figured Miroku was the only one who cared that he was getting punished unjustly…_

_No one else cared._

_Or…so he thought. He didn't see the pair of brown eyes that watched him leave with a great amount of sorrow for his situation._

_If he had looked that way, he might have felt a little different._

_--_

_The buckets filled with water weren't that heavy- two in each hand it was simply the boring atmosphere that made these detention practically unbearable._

_Rather than thinking of it as a punishment, Inuyasha preferred to think of it as another excuse to hate school more than he already did._

_What was so good about it anyway?_

_The average being could learn more from experience than from pages in a book- he could attest to that- and they never quite prepared you for struggles ahead._

_Social settings were equally as bad- and if you weren't well-liked, life was an even hotter hell._

_Then there were the teachers…so biased and arrogant. They didn't know a damn thing about a preacher's useless tools- hope, equality, and a general freedom from the chains of poor birth circumstance._

_Poor birth circumstance…he knew that one all too well._

_His father had been a millionaire with a thing for flings. And, unfortunately, his orphaned son's only 'claim to fame' had been the title of 'the bastard of a man who was far too rich'._

_Sure, his old man had looked out for them…until he had died suddenly when his half-demon boy was only a year old. _

_He had an older brother, or half-brother…Sesshomaru._

_Now there was a first-class jerk._

_Of course, his old man had a sense of humor. Instead of dying and just leaving Sesshomaru his company- no strings attached- he had decided to leave him a 'to-do list'._

_First of all- after his half-brother's mother had died, Sesshomaru was to have his half-brother over for dinner at least once a month. Oh, and he had to live at the mansion._

_Second- when this happened, Sesshomaru had to prove to the press and other paparazzi that he was a kind person. Well, as difficult as that was, his half-brother had done pretty well. About a year ago, close to the time Inuyasha had first moved in, he had taken a drastic step and adopted a new-born human girl who had lost her parents and siblings in a car crash on the way home from the hospital. It was a miracle she had even survived._

_Yeah, that was his family- oh, and that toady-imp thing that was their butler._

_He was only fifteen, but Sesshomaru had repeatedly told him that when he was eighteen- he was out of the mansion. Only once a month for dinner would he be allowed back._

_And he was okay with that._

_He had to be, after all._

_He shook his head, ignoring the dull ache in his muscles that had developed after a good few hours of detention._

_Anyway, all of those values could be taught to the students by some other loser. It wasn't the teacher's job to begin with. _

_That was the way things were. _

_But, he knew. _

'If I were a teacher…I wouldn't spoil my students with the luxury of feigned kindness.'

_He shifted slightly, so as to release a bit of the numbing sensation that made its way down his arm._

'I'd show them just what I could do. I'd show them it doesn't matter at all where they come from! Yeah, they'd have a half-breed as their teacher! Let's see fate give a damn about that!'

_Smirking a bit in satisfaction, he realized just how humorous that would be._

_The very bastards who had mocked him all his life would one day send their own brats to him, hoping to receive an education. And he'd show them! He'd be a good teacher…for all of his flaws._

_It would be his chance to…_

_His gaze travelled to the window, where he could see the soccer team at practice. Pretty much everyone else had gone now, except the principal and a few over-achieving teachers._

_That just made him wonder how long he'd be forced to stand there._

'They'll find me in the morning, I guess.'_ He decided, yawning loudly._

_It was then that he noticed the sound of foot-steps approaching from around the hallway corner. His twin dog ears flicked in unison at the vibrations that came at a rhythmic interval._

_When he could finally attach a face to the noise, he was shocked._

_It was her._

_She looked slightly embarrassed; ashamed to walk by him, more like._

_But, she surprised him. Coming to stand in front of him, eyes keen, she opened her mouth to speak._

"_Are those buckets heavy?"_

_What a question to ask a guy who had been holding four very heavy buckets up for quite some time. He's bound to reply harshly._

"_What do you think?!" he snapped, averting his eyes._

_She blushed at that._

"_All I meant is…well, they must weigh more when…you don't deserve them."_

_His ears pricked._

"_Feh, you think?" He shuffled his feet uneasily, trying to adjust his position. "It doesn't really matter if I did it or not, now does it?"_

_The girl's dark hair was pulled back in a low pony-tail, and he could clearly see her cold eyes calculating something._

"_Look- what the hell do you want from me? Shouldn't you be at a student-council meeting, or something? Or do you just like bothering people, eh?!" Inuyasha was getting frustrated by the silence._

"_It shouldn't be that way, Inuyasha. I don't think it's fair that you got in trouble because Morikawa-san decided to try and pass me a note."_

_He chuckled, though it lacked merriment. "I'm a half-demon. It comes with the territory."_

_She smiled sadly, and he wanted it to go away._

"_I don't need your pity…"_

"_Fine. But you could use my help."_

_And before he knew what was happening, she had taken two of the four water-filled buckets into her own hands. _

_He blinked at her, shocked at her actions._

_But he didn't say anything._

_And that was how they stood; two strangers in a hallway, sharing a similar burden._

_--_

_It was a bar in Tokyo on a cold, March evening, and one man had managed to refrain from ordering a single glass._

_He carefully watched the customers entering, waiting patiently._

_The watch on his pale wrist was checked at frequent intervals, and he was tired of playing that game. She would come when he had asked her to._

_A few of the drunken customers eyed him warily with a small amount of conscious pity; a lonely man waiting for a girl who'd probably stood him up._

_But he didn't care. It was better that they thought that was the situation. _

_He looked less suspicious that way._

_The small TV screens placed at different locations around the room showed the usual: sports, sitcoms, the news…_

_He smirked as he caught what was on the news at that very moment._

_The announcer seemed ruffled, her make-up smudged slightly from what he could only imagine had to be a secret love-affair with an anchor. Typical fools. _

_And these were the people who had teams searching high and low for him and his cohorts? No wonder he had made it this far without a glitch._

"…_the number of abductions in the past month or so have increased enormously with each passing day. Here, in Tokyo, even yesterday, a girl of ten years was taken from her home…"_

_He drifted away from the announcer's voice. The rest of the story was already known to him._

'Today, tragedy hits, as they have found the little girl's body in a dark alley in the Western part of Tokyo…'

_The man smirked. _

'So I'm a celebrity, eh?'

"_Onigumo…I've come."_

_The woman whom he had been awaiting slid gently into the booth, smoothing down her black dress as she sat._

"_Good. It took you long enough, though." He answered, eyeing her with a wicked grin._

_She glared._

"_You really waste yourself on that damn half-breed, you know. If you were mine…"_

"_This isn't the time to tell jokes," she snapped defensively, eyes intense._

_He shifted the subject…slightly…_

"_Speaking of which- your little sister is taking up valuable space at head-quarters. We need to fit more children in that space and well…"_

_The woman suddenly grew desperate. But she refused to show it, keeping a calm front._

"_What are you implying, Onigumo? I'd rather we didn't play these silly games you're so fond of."_

_He chuckled wickedly._

"_Oh, but I do love these silly little games. Do you know why?"_

_He leaned across the table, to whisper in her ear._

"_It's because I always win."_

_She scowled, and turned her face away from him._

"_What do you want me to do…Onigumo?" she spat quietly._

"Your beloved_," he mocked, "Is onto us, isn't he?"_

_Her eyes remained guarded, though her heart picked up speed._

"_What gave you that idea? He's not so sharp that he'd question my sudden departures and behavior."_

_He laughed slightly. "Kikyo…you've always been _bad_ at lying. And I'm not in a _good _mood."_

_She heaved a sigh._

"_Onigumo…I love him more than anything."_

_His eyes flashed._

"_More than…your sister, perhaps?"_

_Kikyo frowned, eyes dark. "…."_

"_What's the matter? Why has your confident aura dissipated, eh? It's not becoming of a woman such as yourself…" he jeered, enjoying her torment._

"_Onigumo, I will do anything you ask of me. But I will not kill him for you." She shot out at minimal volume._

_A smirk crossed his face._

"_Alright then, Kikyo," he answered, "You will not have to kill him."_

_She looked slightly relieved, her face regaining a healthier pallor._

_He smirked. "Where did you get such a silly idea?"_

_When she didn't answer, he closed their meeting._

"_That's all for tonight."_

_He stood up, out of the booth, and began to walk away. But not before stopping to whisper something in her ear._

"_Give him a reason to hate you…and say good-bye, forever. Well, that is, if you ever want to hear your sister take another breath."_

_--_

_There must have been a hole in his pocket. He just knew it._

_But, every time he reached a clawed hand into the place of question, he felt it: the small velvet box that had been the result of all his earnings._

_Sure, he'd have to live off of tofu for the rest of his life- but, hey, it was worth it._

_She was worth it._

_Inuyasha recollected the time that they'd spent together up until tonight._

_That day when he had wrongly been given detention turned out to be the best thing that had ever happened to him in all of his miserable life._

_After getting detention the next day for helping him, Kikyo had endured the same punishment. That was the day that they had had that long talk._

_And from then, everything had been a blur._

_Even though he had been a real jerk at first, she had slowly and patiently opened him up. Before he knew it, he didn't really have to act that way anymore._

_They started to talk more and more. They'd go out on the weekends for long walks, or to a coffee place. They'd confide in each other about their hopes, fears, and beliefs._

_And gradually they had fallen in love._

_Being her boyfriend had been tough, however. _

_He was constantly tormented by other boys- who couldn't understand why the immaculate Kikyo wanted such a dirty half-breed. Hell, he couldn't understand it either._

_But, they were almost out of there. Maybe once they graduated, things would be different._

_The butterflies in his stomach multiplied with each passing second, and he could hardly keep himself from running out of the cheap restaurant and calling the whole thing off._

_He didn't get originality points for this proposal…but Kikyo knew he wasn't the most creative guy. This was something that usually worked in the movies, so he thought he'd give it a try._

_There were other couples all around him- smiling and having a great time with each other._

_He couldn't help but give a little smile too. _

_Inuyasha eyed an elderly couple sitting towards the back. The old woman had a wedding ring on her finger, so he guessed they were married. They looked so happy…even after what must have been an eternity of both the good and the bad things in life._

_He couldn't repress a wistful sigh at the thought._

'I wonder if that'll be me and Kikyo in fifty years?'

_He grinned at the thought._

_--_

_As he and Kikyo sat there, waiting for their food to arrive, he decided that now was a good a time as any. At least if they...kissed…he wouldn't have bad breath, or anything._

_She looked as good as she always did…_

_Her long black hair hung straight down her back, and she wore a white blouse and blood red skirt._

_Looking at her beauty, he truly wondered how he had managed to win her heart. There wasn't anything so special about him, after all._

_But maybe there was something there…something that she could help him discover one day._

_Taking in a deep breath that felt like his last, he began his proposal._

"_Hey, Kikyo?"_

_She turned her head to face him, a sad smile on her face._

_Oh no! Was she nervous too? Was he doing something that upset her?_

_He had to be confident…to make her feel at ease._

"_I was, uh, wondering, if, uh…" he awkwardly got out of his chair, and tripped face-first onto the floor. She blinked down at him._

_He got into as best a kneeling position as he could manage, and slipped his hand into his pocket. So much for being chivalrous and romantic._

"_Look, I'm not good with words…but, well…"_

_They made eye contact. He somehow found the strength to continue._

"…_you're the best thing that's ever happened to me and I love you."_

_He slowly began to pull out the ring._

"_Kikyo, will you-?"_

Slosh.

_The whole restaurant looked at the soaked half-demon, who was pathetically down on one knee, velvet box held gently in his grasp…flower petals strewn in his silver hair._

_It took Inuyasha a moment to realize what had happened._

_He looked up at the woman he loved, and sure enough, in her hand was the vase that had been holding the flowers on the table._

_Was she…refusing?_

"_K-Kikyo?" he stammered, his golden eyes filled with disbelief and pain as he waited for an answer._

"_How," she sniffled slightly, tears forming in her eyes, "How could…I…ever love a half-breed like you?!"_

_Hand shaking, she set the vase back down on the table._

_He watched her shoulders quiver, and moved a hand to comfort her._

_But she slapped it away._

_Tears fell down her cheeks as she said, "Don't ever speak to me again."_

_And with that she ran out of the restaurant as fast as she could, not daring to look back._

"_Wait, Kikyo!"_

_Inuyasha stood up as fast as he could, shoving the box into his pocket and running after her._

_But she was gone._

_--_

_The moonlight shone through the single apartment window of Kikyo's room._

_She kneeled down in front of her bed, clutching the sheets as she sobbed continuously._

_It wasn't fair. He hadn't deserved that at all._

"_Yes, Inuyasha," she choked out, "I will…marry…you…"_

_Her bedroom door creaked open._

"_Well, this is unpleasant, Kikyo."_

_Her eyes grew dark with anger as she lifted her head to the trespasser._

"_I've done what you wished, you bastard," she half-growled._

"_And I'm very proud of you," Onigumo cooed as he came to her side. "Now, I see. You refused the pathetic half-breed's proposal. Poor thing…you must be hurting," he offered cruelly, placing a cold hand on her shoulder._

_Kikyo slapped it off. "Where is my sister?" she demanded, her voice raw._

"_All in good time, Kikyo. There are other things to discuss first…" his tone was silky and dangerous._

"_Other…things?"_

"_Yes…" he answered, brushing her bangs tenderly from her face._

_Kikyo glared at the bed._

"_What a convenient place to be…" Onigumo whispered. "In your bedroom…"_

"_Never."_

_His eyes widened slightly, though he couldn't admit he was surprised. "What was that?"_

"_Never."_

"_Are you…refusing me, Kikyo? Have you forgotten…your place?"_

_She stood up, and backed away from him._

"_I will never let you take me, Onigumo. I promised myself two years ago that I would never surrender my body and soul to anyone other than Inuyasha."_

_He smirked wickedly, standing up to face her. "Is that silly promise…more important than your sister's life?"_

_Her eyes narrowed. "My little sister would never have wanted me to do this. I can no longer be apart of your plan, you sick creature. So you can get out…now."_

"_I understand…" Onigumo spoke softly, moving to her face. He kissed her with pale lips on the forehead, and she flinched in disgust._

_He moved to the door. "In fact…" he began, "Say hello to your sister for me…"_

_And with that, Onigumo left the room._

_Kikyo breathed, feeling sad that she had still not recovered her sister. However, if she had Inuyasha to help her…maybe…_

_But it was not to be._

_On the other side of the door, Onigumo threw a cask of some liquid on the ground. Gasoline, to be exact. He smiled before dropping a lighted match._

"…_in hell."_

_--_

_The flames consumed her door, and blocked the window. _

_There was no way out._

"_NO!" she cried, desperately searching for a way out. There had to be a way out!_

"_INUYASHA!"_

_--_

_Inuyasha was on his way to her apartment, the velvet box still clutched in his hand. _

_Maybe she hadn't wanted to accept…but, maybe she was just confused. _

'…and she wasn't really acting like herself either. When she dumped the water on me…it didn't make sense…and what she said…back there…'

_He'd talk to her about it, one last time._

_Then, the smell of smoke hit his nose. The sound of sirens suddenly assaulted his ears. It was coming from the direction of Kikyo's apartment complex._

"_No," he breathed._

_Running faster than he ever had in his life, he prayed that she was safe._

"_KIKYO!"_

_--_

_Miroku travelled up the grassy hill, towards the lone hanyou that stood in front of an angel statue._

_Everyone else had gone, and so it was his duty as the best friend to be of some comfort._

_He clapped a hand on his friend's shoulder. The half-demon didn't even blink. His eyes were solely focused on the memorial site._

"_Inuyasha…do you…want to go to the shrine? Maybe say a prayer for…"_

_But he shook his head._

"_Miroku…why did she kill herself? Did…she hate me that much?"_

_The man being asked of didn't know how to respond._

"_It's not my place to know. I don't believe she killed herself because of you. And I don't believe that she hated you."_

"_She acted strange there for a while…like something was constantly bothering her. I didn't help her…when I should have been there all along…"_

_His eyes flickered when tears should have fallen._

"_The firemen found traces of what they assume was gasoline by her bedroom door when they were determining the source of the fire. It must have been her…and yet…"_

_He took a deep breath. "I just don't know anymore…"_

_Miroku glanced at his suffering friend, preparing to offer one last bit of dialogue._

"_Look, Inuyasha, I'm going to the teaching department at a university outside of Tokyo. Back a while ago, you mentioned that you were interested in becoming a teacher yourself. Well, I was wondering if you wanted to board with me while we attend the program together."_

_His friend didn't turn around as he answered._

"_Fine, I'll go."_

'If only to forget.'

--

Yikes! That was looooooooooooooooooong! Well, for me anyways.

Before I pick at this chapter, let me just make an announcement. My first story Arabian Nights ended at fifteen chapters, so when Chapter 16 finally rolls around, it'll mark my longest fanfic! Huzzah, as they say! Just a personal success.

Now to kick this chapter where it hurts.

I realize that the whole set-up of Inuyasha and Kikyo's relationship was very cliche, and I apologize if it was a bore to read. But, as you all know, there's only so much new material you can create for those two. A lot of it's been done before, even if we haven't seen it yet. As another note on their relationship- I thought it would be good to start at the first time they really interacted, and end at the last time they interacted. I'm very sorry if you wanted to see their entire courtship that spanned the length of two years. Also- Inuyasha is a bit young to propose, but keep in mind, he's gettin' kicked out of his big mansion soon. He'd better take advantage of Sesshomaru's free 'tuxedo rentals that come with being rich' while he's there. Heh.

Congrats to all who figured out my scheme! Alas, I regret to inform you that the majority of you readers is much more intelligent than a semi-humble little church-mouse such as myself (whatever a church-mouse is...that's how dumb I am, I use phrases I don't know the meaning of! I'm only proving my case I guess...), so don't expect me to out-smart you on many occasions (or ever). I blame you smart people who read all the time (woah there...contradictory much. Feh.)

Oh- about Kikyo's little sister. Yeah. It's not 'Old Kaede'. But I wanted her to have a little sister who could provide her a reason for 'helping' Naraku. The sister has no name however. She's dead. You all can give her your favorite name! (This is TohrutheGreat's sick idea of reader-interaction...)

One last thing: this chapter is probably the last I'll post up for a little bit. School has just started up for me, and well...I have to focus on that for a week or two. But I promise you that I will write whenever I'm able, and I won't ever abandon this story! So, just bear with me for a little while. Thanks :)

Thank you all so much for reading this chapter (and this story)! You all are 'fabulous major' (garfaw! Haha!) readers! Please leave me a review if you liked it, or hated it, or if you want to tell me how much you love pocky or how much you hate rambling author's notes (it's a bad habit...gomen). I'd really like to hear what you all think, because I care a lot about your opinions, and how I can make my writing more enjoyable for you!

Have a Great day, and if you're going back to school soon (or have started and should be doing your homework right now -tsk, tsk...but I won't tell :3) have a Great year!

Byebee:3

TohrutheGreat


	16. Chapter 16: Good Natured Schemes

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or pocky. But if I did...how much money would I be worth?

Priceless. Like that vase sitting in the middle of an art museum that you're tempted to smash.

But...you wouldn't smash me, right? Teehee :)

Enjoy!

--

Today was the big day: the Miko Scouts' first service project.

They had filled out their permission slips, filed into Kagome and Sango's cars, and hit the road in what must have been the course of a few seconds.

'_So much time has passed…'_ Kagome reflected, noticing that the leaves on the trees had reached their peak of green, a sure sign that autumn was just waiting to change the scenery.

The girls in the back chatted amongst themselves, collectively issuing a giggle now and again.

A smile streaked across her slightly tanned face, reminding her of why these children were one of the true joys in her young life.

Becoming the Miko Scout Troop Leader had been the fulfillment of a dream she had long since neglected to remember. As a small child, and a scout herself, she had often hoped that one day she would hand out badges, encourage others, and be an inspiration to strive for happiness.

_Happiness_…was not easy for some to find.

A single face came to mind as she made a U-turn.

The half-demon with whom she had become pretty well acquainted with had not had much luck when it came to that particular noun.

Over the course of the past three months, through various circumstances, they had been forced to communicate with each other.

Through this enlightening experience, she had discovered the existence of a woman named Kikyo, who had meant more than life itself to her 'friend', more or less.

'_That fire…and the kidnappings…the world must be crying out…'_

Then the subject of Onigumo…that was another drawback to the half-demon's life.

Incidentally, that sad fate tied him to her best friend, room-mate, and assistant, Sango- who had once been a promising young member of the police force.

If not for the developments that had spiraled into tragedy, she might still be fighting to save the world from the corruption of petty crime and other less than desirable acts.

Kagome had broached the topic of 'my past' quite a few times with the retired cop and the frustrated teacher, but she had never made an epic discovery.

Especially with Inuyasha…

'_Inuyasha…'_

Her mind fluttered back to that day…when she had discovered what had occurred between himself and the woman, Kikyo.

"_I just packed my things and left," Inuyasha spoke quietly, face emotionless as he addressed his audience. "I didn't even say good-bye to her family…not that they liked me anyway, but still…"_

_Kagome's heart beat a bit slower as she recollected his story._

'So Kikyo didn't kill herself, right? It was this Onigumo person…who started the fire…?'

_She felt horrible. _'All of that happened to you…?'

"_That's how I wound up here, with this perverted freak," he gestured to Miroku, who chuckled nervously in Sango's presence, as if she hadn't deciphered his nature quite yet._

_Kagome felt a pit in her stomach as she realized what he had been through._

'After all that…no wonder you're so grumpy and mean all the time. I never even thought to ask…'

_Inuyasha turned to fix his gaze on the woman he had fought hard to protect over the rough night. His thoughts travelled to her appearance, and how closely she resembled…Kikyo._

'It's strange though,'_ he pondered, golden eyes warming as he concentrated his stare._

'Whenever she's around…the cloudiness disappears.'

_That was when she caught his stare, and forcing her blush away, took a few small steps towards him._

_Miroku watched Kagome edge towards his friend cautiously, and received that as a cue to leave. He wasn't dense, after all._

"_Sango, what do you say after we drop junior off," he referred nonchalantly to Kohaku, "The two of us go out for some pancakes, eh? Huh, what's your verdict?"_

_When she blinked silently at him, he decided to be a bit less delicate. He motioned with his head towards their friends._

_Sango caught on, eyes wide. "You're pure evil," she whispered, crossing her arms._

"_Not evil, my dear Sango, so much as insightful," he winked, waiting for her response._

_She sighed, knowing she would regret this later._

"_Fine, but you're paying."_

_The excitement on his slightly boyish face turned her own a pale shade of red, and she withdrew from the school entrance._

_Her hips swayed slightly as she walked to the car and the pervert couldn't resist, letting out a rude whistle._

_This got Inuyasha, Kagome, and Sango's attention. Only Kohaku pretended he hadn't heard it._

**BONK!**

"_She threw it from that far away and it still hit its target!" Kagome marveled at the accuracy with which Sango's bludgeon had met Miroku head on._

"_Where'd she get that?" Inuyasha breathed a bit nervously, eyes darting this way and that._

"_Just because I'm retired, doesn't mean I can't hold onto my memories." She called from the parking lot, smiling when Miroku issued a groan of pain._

_The poor fool just lay there, the cool concrete enticing him to take it like the man he was._

_But the sound of his car starting changed his mind._

"_Wait, Sango!"_

_And the gym teacher ran faster than he ever had in his life towards the car that was decidedly driving away._

_Kohaku just shook his head, backpack slacking against his spine._

"_Good-bye Ms. Kagome and…you." He told the remaining two before going into the school building._

_That left just them. Great._

"_What were you doing…earlier?" Inuyasha asked quietly._

_She sighed, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder._

"_You might not like me- you might just hate me, but I just wanted you to know that I'll always be a friend of yours. If you ever need anything, whatever it may be, you know where I live."_

_He blushed slightly, before snapping. "W-what's with the change in attitude, huh?!"_

_Kagome shook her head, offering a sad smile. "I guess I just realized that there's more to you than I initially thought."_

"_M-more to me?!"_

"_Yeah. You're not so bad, you know?"_

_He stopped his thrashing, staring into the distance. "You're wrong. But…whatever."_

"_I knew you'd understand!" she replied cheerfully._

_He didn't respond._

"_Well…see you! Thanks again for last night…I would have been a goner!"_

_And with that, she hurried down the steps, and towards the parking lot._

_She turned to look back at him once. The half-demon looked as though he were hesitating, shuffling his feet nervously._

_Kagome smiled, then continued her trek._

"_Wait-uh, K-Kagome! Uh…"_

_She stopped when she heard pounding footsteps behind her._

"_Yes?"_

_He scratched an imaginary itch at the back of his head, trying to find the words._

"_Uh…can you really trust Miroku alone with…Sango?"_

_She looked at him, puzzled. _

"_I wouldn't worry, Inuyasha. If she still has her bludgeon, she probably still has her old handcuffs and pepper spray."_

_He bit his lip, aggravated. _

"_Ya' can't trust that slippery guy! He'd find a way out of those things faster than you could blink! Besides, he could grope a woman with his feet if he wanted to! And he could sweet-talk his way-,"_

_As he continued his spiel, Kagome realized that the desperation behind his argument was not for the safety of Sango. Hiding a blush, she gave an answer._

"_I'd love to go and eat pancakes with you, Inuyasha."_

"…_and if he got a spoon he could-," the half-demon stopped mid-rant._

"_W-what are you talking about?!" he stammered. "I never invited y-you to do anything!"_

"_I know, but I thought it'd be more fun with you there."_

_He crossed his arms and looked away, his face turning red._

"_So, what do you say?" she asked with a smile._

_It took a good two minutes, but he finally answered._

"_Where the hell did they go, anyway?"_

Kagome chuckled quietly to herself as they neared their destination.

'_He was a real pig that day…' _she recalled, _'How many pancakes did he polish off, anyway?'_

The Miko Scout Leader shrugged a little as she reminisced.

'_Good thing Miroku was paying…'_

Paying…

For some reason, her mind connected _'paying'_ to _'money'_, which in turn connected her to _'Lord_ _Sesshomaru'_, Inuyasha's rich half-brother, which made her think about Rin.

She remembered the day the scouts had turned in permission slips…

_The sunlight filtered through the half opened windows as the sound of cicadas rang clear in the afternoon heat._

_Kagome wiped her wrist gently across her sweaty brow, taking in a slight sigh of humid air as she did so. The fans were totaled, and it would be at least a week before Principal Myoga bothered to check the school's low budget._

_She turned her attention to the little girl who still sat at a desk, long brown hair slightly frizzed from the temperature._

"_I'm sorry Rin," Kagome began, blinking out the sun, "What did you want to ask me?"_

_Rin shifted awkwardly in her seat. "I was just wondering…can…Lord Sesshomaru drive me there…instead?"_

_The Miko Scout Leader blinked again before replying._

"_Don't you want to be with the other girls?"_

_The small scout looked towards the window._

"_It's fine, really. Besides, Lord Sesshomaru never lets me use public transportation."_

'So he thinks I'm some sort of stupid school bus?!'_ Kagome tried to keep cool._

"_He wants to drive you?"_

_Rin nodded, a small smile drifting across her face. _

"_It's fun! I can even get him to talk…a little bit."_

_Kagome walked over, and gave her scout a gentle pat on the head. The girl probably didn't get them very often._

"_As long as you participate in the service project, it's fine however you want to get there."_

"_Thank you!"_

_She picked up her backpack with a small heave, and trotted towards the door._

_Kagome shook her head as soon as the little girl turned the corner and out of sight. She leaned down over her desk, organizing her papers into a neat little pile._

'She's a good kid…'

"_Oh-!"_

_Her head shot up as Rin suddenly called out from the doorway. She had returned._

"_Y-yes?" she stammered, heart racing from the sudden surprise._

"_And Lord Sesshomaru thanks you too!"_

Kagome watched the trees blend together into a mass of green life as she neared the scouts' destination. The limo was probably somewhere behind them…

Despite his stoic attitude, the seemingly sullen millionaire had grown on her, and despite what Inuyasha said…he couldn't have been that bad if he let Rin join a group of Miko Scouts.

Normally, it would be a good wake up call for a rich little girl to be apart of a club or the like, to bring her back down to earth and remind her what she had. However, Rin was even less spoiled than many of the other children in their troop. Kagome knew first-hand, after seeing her room.

Ever since she had accompanied a reluctant Inuyasha to Sesshomaru's house for his melancholy 'monthly meal', she had forced him to comply with her company for each preceding visit.

Not that he had…refused in so many words. In fact, he didn't seem to be so mad when she had imposed.

'_Even our arguments are beginning to-!'_

She mentally cursed a word she hadn't even known existed before meeting Inuyasha, as she just barely missed her turn, and did a two wheeler in an effort to pull onto the correct exit.

Her fingers gripped the steering wheel, arms stiff while her heart thudded in her chest.

"Is everyone…okay?" she choked out, overcoming her initial shock.

Kagome's eyes darted to the mirror that sat above her head, where she could see the scouts.

They looked frightened out of their little bones.

But, Ai raised a big thumbs-up with a smile.

"Can you do that again, Ms. Kagome?!"

"Maybe…if you all misbehave _and _don't follow directions…"

This initial threatening would ensure that the girls would obey each and every word that came from her mouth.

'_Inuyasha's rubbing off on me…'_

--

He didn't bother to see if his scouts had survived that last turn. Hell, maybe they'd burned a few extra pounds from that rush of adrenaline.

Inuyasha glared through the windshield at the road in front of him.

Stupid thoughts had almost made him miss his turn!

'_Dammit…I'm too soft for my own good!'_ he reflected, frustrated that she occupied his mind so often as of late.

Kagome Higurashi…his rival in all. Well…in babysitting little brats, anyway.

Ever since that night when he'd saved her and the biggest annoyance of his life, Shippo, from the thieves, he hadn't been able to break away from her.

If he wasn't being pestered by Miroku, or grading stupid papers, he was with that girl…and always doing something 'for the good of humanity'. What the hell did he care about humanity? He was a demon. Or…half-demon, rather.

'_That's right…'_ he reminded himself guiltily.

'_She accepts me…even though I'm so…'_

Inuyasha discontinued the thought, blushing slightly.

'_We're here…'_

Turning into the small parking lot, he selected the spot closest to the small building's entrance: the _handicapped _spot.

His scouts each raised an eyebrow simultaneously, eyes questioning their leader's morals.

The silence unnerved him.

"What?!" he suddenly rounded on the boys in his backseat, eyes glowing in the dark lighting of his archaic excuse for a car.

"You think…it's _wrong _for me to use a parking space?! Hell," he snorted, "I don't see anyone hobbling around!"

--

"Welcome to Tarako Animal Shelter! You must be the Youkai Scouts!"

"Yeah, now where're the dumb mutts? Come on, I've got these brats on a tight schedule!" Inuyasha verbally insulted the receptionist after she had graciously welcomed him with a hand-shake.

"Oh-sir…are you…sure? You don't sound like the man on the phone…" she replied, eyes suspicious and guarded.

Of course not. Miroku hadn't let him near the phone.

'_Said I wasn't tactful enough! Feh! He just wants an excuse to sweet talk a female!'_

"Ah! There they are!"

Inuyasha turned suddenly as the receptionist's face brightened. There was another throng of children…all girls. Damn.

They walked in quietly, the automatic doors making a deafening noise upon their entrance.

"Alright girls, now say hello to the nice lady who's letting us-,"

The half-demon's eyes widened when he saw Kagome stop short.

"You?! You're here?!" he shouted in disbelief, cursing Miroku's flawed planning. His lecherous excuse for a friend probably set this whole thing up, the bastard!

The Miko Scout Leader crossed her arms, ready to give it right back to him.

"Speak for yourself! You don't have to act like it's such a bad thing to see me!"

He looked at his feet, once again feeling slightly guilty for his harsh welcome.

Inuyasha suddenly raced out the door, full speed.

He had to re-park his car.

Kagome was rubbing off on him.

--

Chapter 16! How to Build a Fire is officially my longest story! sniffle, sniffle.

Okay, okay, time for explanations, I suppose. Yes, I did set this chapter three months after Chapter 15...for reasons I will explain. First off- summer is over and I thought I should progress the story a little bit. Second- there are...more community service oppurtunities during the holidays and stuff like that, so I thought it would be a wise investment! Sorry if it confused anyone, but you all can imagine what happened during that unwritten time, ok?

About Inuyasha and Kagome's relationship at this point...hm. Good question. Right now, I think they've come to an understanding, but this does not by any means eliminate the fun they're going to have in future chapters! When it comes to their scouts, they can get competetive. However, it looks like Miroku and Sango will try to bring about some peace. Some. Heh.

Oh- speaking of which, Miroku, Sango, Sesshomaru, and the rest of the kids are there...they're just taking a really long time to come in. A really long time. (sweats nervously, pulling at shirt collar as eyes bug out freakishly).

I've missed all of you so much! I apologize that it has taken this long to update, but I've been trying to get my homework and things done in a timely manner (so I can go to bed at a humanly time: 11:00), as well as other things. I'll try to update sooner, so you all don't have to wait too long :).

Thank you so, so very much for reading this chapter (and this story)! It is because of great people such as yourselves that I can continue to strive for improvement! I'd really, really appreciate it if you could give me a review to let me know the positives and deltas (a nice way of saying negatives...) of my writing! Also, if you give me a review with something you think might happen...you never know...it might just end up happening. Ya' never know ;)

Everyone, I can not express my gratitude enough. Please, continue to support me, and I promise I won't let you down! You all are the greatest readers, and I consider myself to be blessed by your time.

Have a Great day!

Byebee:3

TohrutheGreat


	17. Chapter 17: Volunteering Is Fun!

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. And I don't think I ever will, as Santa Claus doesn't deliver fictional characters to good anime fans. They're far too noisy, so they'd just wake people up.

Heh. I know I said on my profile page (in case you devotedly read it) that this chapter would be up yesterday...but, well, it wasn't. I had some last minute editing to do.

But it was only a day late! Huzzah!

Aw, I'll explain everything at the end of the chapter, but for now:

Enjoy!

--

"This way please," the still-frazzled worker led the two groups of excited children down the hall, towards the very back of the animal shelter, where they kept the dogs and a few of the chance cats who ended up there.

The barking seemed to swell as mongrel and pure-bred pooch alike caught the scent of children…and tension.

Youkai scouts clung to the right side of the wall, while the Miko scouts stuck to their own left side. Every so often, the boys would steal glances at the shy little girls, and vice versa. It was very curious that another group of scouts was there…almost as much as the growing sparks between their leaders.

Inuyasha tried not to make eye-contact as he swallowed the lump in his throat. Miroku was grinning from ear to ear, walking at the rear of the crowd. The half-demon frequently shot him irritated looks, but the gym teacher just waved it off as though his friend had given him the most golden of smiles.

Of course, _he_ wasn't bothered. Nothing pleased him more than thought of killing two birds with one stone: playing match-maker and giving Sango's rear a good love tap.

The half-demon darted his eyes with a bit of hesitance in Kagome's direction. She didn't look an inch as uncomfortable as he must have. But…she did seem a bit irritated.

His ears sharpened, and he felt his state of being was comparable to that of a dying pirate. No prayers would save him now.

"Well, here we are! Oh, yes, hello!" the volunteer stopped in front of one of the pens to pet a small dog, it's tail ready to snap off from devoted and unrelenting exertion.

The scouts stopped mid-step, ready to receive further orders from the authority figures who were positioned ahead of and behind them.

"Alright! Listen up you brats! You'd better shut up while Ms. 'All Butt and No Brain' tells us what the hell we're gonna be doin', got it?!" Inuyasha barked to his scouts who were now giggling over the title designated to the volunteer by the 'Overlord of All Attitude', as he was known to them often times.

"Now, now, Inuyasha! That's a horrible thing to say about a lovely young woman!" Miroku lectured forcefully, coming up to the front of their line.

Sango watched the whole incident with a hint of a curiosity…or perhaps more than that.

'_Miroku is defending a woman…?'_ she thought with a blush, admiring his actions.

Inuyasha smirked with a sluggish look in his golden gaze. "Oh gee…so quick to defend your own sick thoughts, eh teach?"

Miroku's face held a curious expression, before he felt an immense heat overwhelm him. He regretted turning around the second he had.

Sango's glare was burning a whole in his soul.

'_So…you were thinking she had a big butt. That figures…you lech.'_ She thought angrily, fists clenched as she brushed past him to stand next to Kagome.

The Miko Scout Troop Leader still looked terribly appalled from Inuyasha's statements in regards to the volunteer, who herself had not heard a single word, miraculously. It must have been due to the deafening onslaught of dog barks.

Regardless, she addressed her scouts with every usual inch of kindness. "Okay everyone. Let's listen carefully to what this nice woman has to say before we help the cute little animals living here."

The girls' eyes brightened at this, as though they were suddenly reminded that the sounds and smells of the animal shelter all amounted to the sight of adorable puppies and fuzzy kittens. Kagome smiled, hoping that the scouts would be this enthusiastic in regards to every project she decided they would be undertaking.

Inuyasha glared at the glittering way that she sugar-coated everything.

'_Feh…it's just a buncha' dumb mutts covered in fleas! Nothin' to get all flustered and giddy 'bout!'_

Miroku nudged him in the elbow, before offering a faint, but none-the-less smug whisper in his triangular ear.

"It just gets better my friend…"

The half-demon blinked a bit, before deciding to question his friend. But he was cut short by the entrance of…well, the more or less arrival of his answer.

'_Oh shi-!'_

"Ms. Kagome! We're here!"

Rin's voice ran down the long hallway, and soon she was seen skipping up to the front of the line. The girls all froze when they saw who was accompanying her. Not a hair on their heads dared to rustle in the slight breeze which had made a grand entrance upon the front door's opening.

"Sesshomaru?! What the hell?!" Inuyasha goaded the silver haired demon.

"Hello…little brother," Sesshomaru said icily, his eyes sharp as they defied his persecutor's glare.

"You're here! And just in time, too! We're about to go in the back to help the animals," Kagome said kindly, squatting down to Rin's level.

"Yay!" the girl shouted, her arms flying out to the side- hitting Sesshomaru right in the gut.

Sesshomaru did a twitch, but acted never-the-less as though the incident did not happen.

Inuyasha smirked at his brother's annoying soft spot.

"And what if I punched you in the gut, huh? Bet you'd cry…"

The clawed hand of his brother clasped around the half-demon's throat as he was slowly but surely lifted up to new heights…literally.

His feet pedaled the air desperately, and his arms reached up to pry Sesshomaru's hands from his neck. The little girls covered their mouths in shock, while the boys exchanged frightened looks and quiet snickers of delight. Only Rin looked up at them with ease and a smile.

'_She must be used to it...'_ Kagome thought, taking note of Rin's calm expression. _'It's slightly discomforting…'_

But, she had a duty as the Miko Scout Leader of Troop #15 to stop the uncouth violence that can only be found between such close siblings.

"Would you two cut it out!" Kagome chided, hands on her hips.

Sesshomaru just ignored her.

This offended her quite a bit.

"I said, cut it OUT!" she bellowed, stomping over to grab Inuyasha's struggling arms. It then became something like a battle of tug-of-war, with Sesshomaru pulling back when Kagome left a thin margin of slack, and vice-versa.

Finally, the dog-demon with almost as much hubris as his little brother relented for the pleasure of watching the two scout leaders fall into an awkward situation.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

Inuyasha fell backwards on top of Kagome, his head resting much to close to….

"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!"

The two of them blushed terribly, and the especially flustered half-demon sprang up immediately. He waved his arms frantically in front of his chest, as though trying to apologize, but no words came out.

Kagome just looked at the ground, praying her scouts couldn't see what a huge uproar their role model had caused.

'_What have I done…?'_ she thought, face turning even redder.

The girls just watched curiously, while the boys readied themselves to beat up the other sexual harasser in the group.

"Well then, are you children ready to go back?" the volunteer asked as though nothing had happened, but the nervous smile she displayed revealed that she was not nearly so naïve.

"Come on girls," Sango urged, leading the Miko Scouts ahead. She sent an apologetic look at Kagome, who mouthed a flustered 'thank you'.

Miroku was against the wall laughing, and so Shippo undertook the duty of leading his fellow scouts to the back.

"Let's go, everyone!" he called, and being the natural leader that he was, they all followed obediently. The fox demon just stuck his tongue out at his Scout master as he passed.

"Why you little-!" Inuyasha began, but he was cut off by a look from Kagome's red face. He had screwed up…sort of…

Sesshomaru wordlessly followed the tail end of the scouts, keeping a gold, diligent eye on his ward, Rin. His priorities were organized, after all.

Miroku copied this action, tossing a sly smile at his friend.

Inuyasha stewed. "Why does everybody have to make such a damn big deal about everything?!"

"Sorry…I was just trying to…help you…." She spoke out, walking farther down the hallway to join the others.

"I never asked ya to!" he lashed out, not willing to look 'weak'.

"Then I won't next time!"

"Good riddance! I don't need your 'help'!

"Ugh! You are so stubborn!"

"OH YEAH?! LOOK WHO'S TALKING!"

"YEAH, LOOK WHO'S TALKING!"

"SHUT UP!"

"YOU SHUT UP!"

The poor volunteer hid behind the wall.

'_And these two are scout troop leaders?! My goodness…'_

Downwind of her were all of the scouts, and the assistant leaders, along with Sesshomaru. They had decided this was too good to pass up.

The fighting ensued for a good five minutes, before Inuyasha heard Shippo giggling. And clocked him right on the noggin.

--

"Okay, everyone," the volunteer put on her best bubbly voice as she read off of the shelter's clipboard, "You're each going to have the opportunity to do different activities…but this is how the list stands now."

"You," she extended one of her pointer digits in the Miko Scouts' direction, "Will be washing the shelter's cats."

The girls cheered…especially Koume, who often stopped by the shelter on the weekends. The volunteer winked at the little girl. She had known what this little scout would fancy.

"Yay! I've always wanted to pet a cat! What about you, Rin?" Ai chattered excitedly to her temporary neighbor, hands at her cheeks.

"Shh," Kagome chided, though she smiled at Rin, who seemed to enjoy this new contact.

"And now…you," the volunteer did a slight pivot, eyes still locked on the paper, "Youkai Scouts…will be cleaning our canine friends!"

Inuyasha groaned, bringing the palm of his hand straight into his face.

"Stupid dogs…why'd it have to be…dogs?!" he mumbled, shaking his head. Miroku couldn't help releasing a chuckle. It was ironic, really.

The half-demon suddenly to turned to face his best friend, golden eye twitching ungracefully.

"Don't even think about. Dumbass pervert."

The Miko Scouts and the volunteer gasped at his utter lack of discretion in language.

Kagome glared firmly at him, her foot tapping not so delicately against the concrete floor passionately. Inuyasha waved it off.

"Great, great. Now where're the damn mutts we gotta' throw in some soapy water?"

The volunteer's patience was wearing a little thin. "Follow me, please. Koume," she stopped the small line-up that had formed behind her. "You know the way to the cats, right?"

"Of course!" Koume piped up, wearing the role of animal aficionado quite well.

"Then will you lead your fellow scouts to their area?"

"You bet!"

"Good." The volunteer smiled, and with a wave of her arm, she led the drooping band of Youkai scouts down the left hallway.

"Alright then, Koume. Show us the way!" Kagome ordered with a dramatic salute.

The girls giggled, though Koume took her leader's words with several doses of seriousness.

"Follow me!"

--

Great.

Just great.

Here he was, in the heat of summer's end.

With the smell of damn wet dog in his precise nose.

The scouts were scrubbing a bunch of playful pooches, sleeves rolled up and smiles on their young faces. Even Miroku was helping, offering a soaked sponge here and there, but he was far more interested in admiring Sango's rear-end through the wire fence. How she continuously missed this totally stumped him, but it wasn't really worth losing sleep over.

They could clearly see the girls working rigorously on the water-phobic felines through the fence: and it heavily boosted their morale.

Inuyasha had not necessarily wanted to work with the dogs originally, which was a gross understatement, but watching those fiery Miko scouts persist relentlessly in washing a bunch of disgusting cats made him thank the few lucky stars he had.

"Come help us, Inuyasha!" Miroku called from the side of the fence.

"Fine…" he grumbled, standing up from the warm concrete on which he had been comfortably reclining.

He carefully dodged running pups, soap suds that had littered themselves all along the ground, and other hazardous articles.

Unfortunately, just as he passed the last dog, it decided to dry itself. The dog's soapy body shook all over…

"Ha-ha! Looks like we've cleaned the last dog, scouts!" Miroku cheered, grinning widely.

The scouts joined in his laughter, pointing at their scout leader. The dogs barked happily, wagging their tails, though they themselves had no idea what was going on.

Inuyasha barely bothered to glare. For once, a knock to the head or a nasty look just wouldn't do it. He was going to go all out for this one.

Lowering himself to an almost dog-like pose, he turned his head to smirk at the scouts who had come closer, a few feet from his back.

Then, he unceremoniously shook every soap sud and bubble from his body, covering each scout with a blanket of uncomfortable moisture.

"Ewwwwwww!" they chorused like their counterparts on the other side of the fence.

Miroku saw Kagome look over briefly, shaking her head in disbelief.

It was pretty immature of him, but for now the perverted gym teacher was just glad the half-demon had spared him punishment.

Oh, but the power of the jinx is a strong one.

While Miroku's back was turned, Inuyasha wasted no time in stealthily getting close to the bucket near his friend. Its contents were just begging to be used.

In the name of vengeance, the half demon lifted the hefty bucket, moving closer to his assistant's head. When he had it positioned at the correct spot, he wasted no time in tilting it, and dumping everything inside right on the gym teacher's head.

_Splosh!_

Miroku said nothing. He did nothing. Exacting vengeance…it wasn't…mature…it wasn't appropriate…he was a role model for these boys…

But for the moment, he forgot all these things. His hand gripped one of the sponges that lay near his feet. He stood up, allowing the water to drip out and darken the color of the pavement as he made a fist.

"You _fool_!" Miroku yelled, throwing his arm back in the style of a baseball pitcher. Then he aimed, and shot the half-demon a fiery curve-ball.

Inuyasha ducked though, and the sponge hit Shippo right in the face, six feet away.

The assistant troop leader's face dropped as he realized what he'd done.

"Oh no…I'm so sorry, Shippo! I didn't mean to-!"

"Ha-ha-ha-ha!" Inuyasha cackled, dropping the bucket with a clank. "Nice try, pervert-!"

_Thud!_

Shippo smirked widely. He had hit his mark.

The wet sponge slid from the back of Inuyasha's head. There was silence as the scouts waited for his blow-up. Only Shippo seemed unafraid of the half-demon's wrath.

"SHIPPO!"

Inuyasha picked up the sponge that had assailed him, and threw it right back in the direction from which it had come.

Unfortunately for him, the sponge hit the most ill-tempered of the boys right in the face: the demon child Bunza.

That sealed the deal.

"FIGHT!" Shippo cried, raising a small fist into the air.

--

On the other side of the fence, the Youkai Scouts were aggressively throwing around sponges, soapy water, and pretty much anything else that could inflict a relative amount of damage. At the front lines stood Inuyasha, who seemed to get hit every two seconds…by different attackers each time.

Kagome wasn't surprised he was a popular target.

On their side of the fence, however, her Miko Scouts were working efficiently _and_ having fun.

Well…she liked to _think_ they were having fun.

Until today, Kagome had naively held the notion that sweet little kitties loved water like they loved fish. She now scolded herself as her eyes surveyed the scene before her.

Rin and Ai were fervently scrubbing a pair of tabby kittens, whose whiskers were dripping with soap, large eyes utterly pathetic. Hitomi, Satsuki, and Moegi were working on washing the suds off of their felines, sweat adorning their faces for quantity of effort. Soten and Mayu towel dried each cat when they were done with their necessary torture, while Koume dutifully played with each cleaned animal to ease the trauma.

Sango supervised from the fence, her back leaning against the chain links. She was smiling from where she stood, the sun peering off her sweaty face.

The assistant troop leader had once told Kagome that she herself had a great love of cats, so she suspected the woman with the sad past was enjoying this particular outing immensely.

Kagome herself was not doing much- she offered words of encouragement, and suggested certain tactics for managing the picky creatures. She herself had a cat at home, Buyo.

Home…Sota.

After getting to know Inuyasha, she had extracted a tid-bit of information from their many interviews: her little brother, Sota, had joined the Youkai Scouts. It worried her to no end that Inuyasha was serving as his key role model, but strangely enough, the young boy seemed to have developed a brotherly fondness towards the gruff scout leader.

Luckily, he had to make up a test today at school, so he was unable to attend. She was grateful for this, watching the suds fight taking place on the other side of the fence.

"Hey, Kagome?"

The Miko scout leader drifted back into attention, turning her head towards Sango in order to answer her question.

"Yeah?"

"I'm just going to go inside for a bit…all of our towels are pretty wet. The cats don't like being dried with water."

"Okay," Kagome nodded. "I'll watch them like a hawk."

Sango laughed a little. "That's a bit ironic. I'm sure some hawks would love to nibble on a fat little kitty."

And with that she treaded towards the door, opening it slowly so as not to alert the cats to the sudden change in environment.

The sun was still bearing down mercilessly, though it was nearly fall. Kagome shaded her brown orbs with one of her hands, turning her head a bit to the left. She caught Miroku sneaking away from the fight, smile gracing his handsome face. Her interest was piqued when he made it to the door and entered the inside of the animal shelter.

She smiled, realizing he was probably following Sango.

'_I knew his fairly good behavior wouldn't last for too long…'_ she recalled. _'Although he did stare for an eternity at Sango's…'_

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! It's wet!"

Kagome exited her match-making thoughts as she quickly placed her focus on the direction from which the cry had arisen.

It was Satsuki, and her hair was heavily sprinkled with soapy water. There was a sponge lying right at her feet, and she could only put two and two together.

"Who-?" Kagome began, ready to kindly reprimand whichever of the Miko scouts had decided it would be fun to pelt their friend.

But she was shocked to see that every one of the scouts was looking at the other side of the fence with blank expressions.

When she herself looked at the Youkai scouts, she saw that the fox demon, Shippo, was standing there, staring at Satsuki…panic in his little green eyes. He also seemed…guilty.

Kagome's heart dropped a little as she wondered fearfully how her scouts would solve this little conflict.

Satsuki sniffled, her eyes watering rapidly as tears threatened to flow. Her shaking hand was balled in a fist, her gaze averted towards the hard ground.

Shippo hesitated, but then worked up a bit of courage. "I-I'm so-sorry-!"

But he was cut off when a soapy wet sponge hit him smack on his red head.

Rin was smiling, her arm held up high in the air. Shippo stood stark still, very much surprised.

The eerie silence lasted for what felt like minutes as the tension mounted. Even the cats that had conveniently, and oddly decided to perch themselves atop Sesshomaru's shoulders, head, and feet were fairly still, their tails swishing back and forth with a smug amount of intelligence.

No one saw what was coming next.

"YOU'RE ON!" Shippo cried, and all the boys armed themselves with their unusual weapons of choice. The girls, though surprised by the challenge, readily did the same.

Kagome shook her head, willing with any power she might have unknowingly possessed that the fight would cease.

But, she possessed no such power.

Inuyasha himself threw the first sponge that hit the Miko scout leader right in the face.

And she threw it right back, full force.

Within a few minutes, both sides were firing at a speed and efficiency that had never been matched before.

The fight went on until the volunteer, wondering what was happening, stepped outside…and slipped right on a patch of soap.

"Woaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

--

Every scout, and their leaders, with the exception of Inuyasha and Sesshomaru, bowed their heads in deep apology.

"We are all very sorry," Kagome offered to the volunteer, who seemed vaguely out of it. Luckily, she hadn't been hurt too badly…just a few scrapes and a little light headedness.

They were outside the building and the only thing cooling the red tinges of embarrassment on the cheek of each scout was the slight fall breeze that brushed past the animal shelter.

"It was my fault for letting the fi-play," she corrected herself, "Get so out of control…"

"Are you kidding me?!" the volunteer exclaimed, hands on her hips.

Kagome lowered her head, readying herself for the woman's fury.

"That was probably the most fun experience I've had working at this shelter! Thank you so much!"

Everyone blinked in surprise. No one had expected this.

"Wh-what? What do you mean? We let our scouts get so out of control…" Kagome stammered, shocked at the volunteer's joyful statement.

"Not only did you help take care of the many animals we have here, but you also had fun doing it. That makes a world of difference…seeing the smiles on little boys and girl's faces as they serve their community. I can't express the hopefulness welling in my chest…" the volunteer, confided happily, hands at her heart.

At the mention of 'chest', Miroku's head shot up, only to be hit back down by Sango's extended fist. He smiled though, once he got over his disappointment. Sango knew him all too well.

"Yeah, yeah, good for you. Alright everybody, get your butts in the car! We're goin' back to school!"

There was chorus of disappointed sighs, but they were really too tired to care so much.

--

The volunteer waved to them as they filed into the parking lot: girls going one way, boys the other. Or, rather, they started to do this, but then they caught site of the ostentatious limo oddly out of place at an animal shelter.

Rin had never been so popular as she answered everyone's miscellaneous and repetitious questions. Sesshomaru sat in the car, counting the millions of cat hairs on his suit.

Inuyasha and Kagome were shoulder to shoulder as they themselves backed up the rest of the party of scouts, their shoes leaving slight wet marks on the sidewalk. The Miko scout leader held her bottle of water tightly in her hand, glad she had remembered to bring it. The day had become even hotter at this hour.

"You need to lighten up, Inuyasha," Kagome began, eyes straight ahead. "You're not setting a very good example, you know."

"Feh!" he retorted, crossing his arms arrogantly. "That's what T.V.'s for!"

'_Of course…'_ The troop leader thought, rolling her eyes.

"So…hey…uh," Inuyasha blushed a little, "We never really…got to…uh, you know, finish the fight…"

Kagome smirked. "You're right, we didn't."

"And…maybe we could, uh-," he stuttered. "Maybe we-!"

_Splash!_

Kagome laughed as she poured the last of the water from the bottle on the top of his silver head. He just stood there, clear droplets falling off of his silver locks.

"You were saying?" she teased.

"YOU'RE GONNA' GET IT, KAGOME HIGURASHI!"

Then, without warning, Inuyasha raced towards her. She giggled, running away as fast as she could down the sidewalk.

"H-help!" Kagome panted, a smile on her face. An angry half-demon was far from safe.

But Inuyasha wasn't angry; in fact, he had a genuine grin on his face- golden eyes twinkling with enjoyment. The grouchy Youkai Scout Leader of the dreaded Troop #50, was actually, of all things, happy.

The scouts watched this chase, betting on who would win using buttons and pieces of candy. After all, they were on a fixed income.

"GOTCHA!"

--

I'm back! You couldn't get rid of me that easily! Hah-hah!

First off, I would love to apologize for my inexcusably long absence. I'd like to say I have a really great excuse, but I don't. I got a pretty bad case of writer's block two months ago, and when I finally started writing, I got very wrapped up in other things. I'm really, really, really, really sorry! But I worked very hard this week to get it all finished.

Hence, if you discover quite a few typos, inconsistencies, and grammatical errors, please let me know in a review. I tried to get this done pretty quick, so there might be a lot of them.

Since a lot has happened these past few months, I'd like you to please send me a review featuring three things:

1) Tell me if I made any mistakes (namely grammar and OoC-ness), and let me know what I can improve on

2) Tell me what you dressed up as for Halloween (or if you are too mature for that, what did you do instead of trick-or-treating?) :)

3) What's your favorite food at Thanksgiving?

I will answer the last two: 2) Snow White and 3) Sweet Potatoes with brown sugar and pecans on top (YUM!)

Thank you so much for reading! You all are the best readers a fanfiction writer can ask for, and I'm sorry that I let you down with the update tardiness. I will try my best to get the next one up...in about a week and a few days. We'll see! Heh.

Have a Great day!

Byebee:3

TohrutheGreat


	18. Chapter 18: Rat Holes and Halloween Fun!

Hey everyone! No, this is not a dream...I've updated!! ALLELUJAH!!!

This chapter is dedicated in memory of:

Grandma Joan

1938-2009

and

Linda

1958-2008

May you both find eternal peace in heaven.

You'll always be in our hearts.

I miss you both so much-

Much love~3

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha! (yet...dun, dun, dun! :D) . Also- I do not own Scooby-Doo. Oh and red leather jackets are so cool, right? You might think so after you read this chapter...:)

And now, the long-awaited Chapter 18 of HtBaF!!

Enjoy!

--

"So you're a no-show?!"

Miroku flinched as his friend's voice bombarded the delicate drum of his human ear.

"Well, I wouldn't phrase it like that-," he pressed, grateful they weren't face to face, "-but I cannot attend this evening."

"And why the hell not?!"

The assistant troop leader sighed, holding the phone away from his ear while his accuser continued to rant. When it was safe, he brought the device back closer to his face.

"Well, you see I-!"

There was a growl on the other line. "Quit it with the 'Well…' crap," his friend mocked Miroku's voice, "And get on with the excuses!"

The gym teacher plopped down on his chair- reminding himself again that if he wanted to say what he wanted to say, he had to blunt, and minimize wordiness. That way, it would be easier for the individual on the other line.

"I-I'm- _achoooooo_-," Miroku inserted a fake sneeze for a more believable performance, "-sick."

There was silence on the other line. The assistant troop leader blinked.

"Inuyasha-?" he asked hesitantly.

"Feh. Get a flu shot, you idiot!" the half-demon barked, before hanging up on him.

Miroku smiled. It was too good to be true!

"Ah…" he sighed contentedly, reclining in the comfortable brown leather arm chair. He had saved a pretty penny to buy it- he had always been clever with money- and it was a cool night like this that he meant to enjoy it.

The gym teacher reached for his coffee table reluctantly- knowing he had to grab the remote to turn on the T.V. It was ironic really- this is what he would have been doing all evening anyway…if he hadn't suddenly gotten 'sick'.

As the television clicked on, the colors were blinding. It made him think a little while he waited for the sudden appearance of pictures to make sense.

"I wonder what Sango's doing…?" He pondered aloud, his eyes glazing as they sunk into a day-dreamy state.

Suddenly, watching T.V. seemed to be a boring prospect. After all…there were other things to do. More 'fun' things…

Miroku made a quick pit stop to the kitchen, popping a stale potato chip in his mouth before scurrying carefully to the wall.

Thanks to Kagome filling his old 'crystal ball' up, a new one had to be constructed pronto.

He put his ear to the wall, listening intently to find out if the living room on the other side was populated. Lucky for him, he was greeted with a joyful silence.

It made sense; the two residents he was mostly concerned with were probably at the same place Inuyasha was- supervising their scouts.

Miroku smiled, realizing how perfect his timing was.

And with that, he went to work.

--

"Okay, okay shut up already!"

The angry growl of the Youkai Scout Leader of Troop #50 echoed through the school gym. All of the scouts- Youkai and Miko, were seated neatly in fold-out chairs that had been placed in the large space, shrinking at the commanding voice of the frazzled half-demon.

"Look, ya' got two choices," Inuyasha began, turning his back to them and shuffling through Kagome's handy teacher's bag. When he was towards the scouts once again, he had two movies- one in each hand.

"This one…is about some kid who gets lost in the woods on Halloween! Feh, this doesn't look scary at all!" he exclaimed, tossing the movie he had been blindly reviewing behind him.

"Maybe you forgot," a slightly sharp voice met Inuyasha's ears, "But these are _children_."

Kagome was standing next to him, her arms crossed- the movie he had just thrown in her right hand. Her eyes met his, and though he'd never admit it to her, the action made his heartbeat quicken, and his movements awkward.

"Come on! That movie is so innocent it'd make a unicorn puke!" Inuyasha shot at her.

"Well then why don't you go home and watch your own sick movies! These scouts do not need to see some things. I thought you knew that!" she retorted, coming nose to nose with him.

He blushed at the closeness, but immediately turned away from her.

"And the other one is…about a dog. Oh, you're sick." Inuyasha mumbled as he looked over the other movie.

"What's wrong with Scooby-Doo?" Kagome asked, innocence in her eyes as she answered. "It's fun to figure out who the bad guy is!"

"Why's it gotta be about some damn dog?! Why couldn't it be a crime-solving iguana- or a ferret?!" The Youkai Scout Troop Leader demanded.

The scouts watched, chuckling at the childish antics of their Scout Leaders. Seeing the way they behaved was better than any movie.

--

Sango stepped out of the bathroom- a pink robe wrapped around her damp body.

The warm steam from the shower had been just the thing for her cold induced congestion. She plopped down on the couch, and tied her hair up in a bun so it wouldn't be in her way.

It was poor timing that she had gotten sick so suddenly. Tonight the Miko and Youkai Scouts would be having a 'Scary Movie Night' in the spirit of Halloween at the school gym.

Kohaku had wanted to attend, but when she came down with a bad cold, he had desired to stay home and take care of her. She had argued that it wasn't fair for him to miss it, so she had asked Kagome to take him. It hadn't taken a lot of convincing.

Now, she had the apartment all to herself. But what to do?

Sango had limited her T.V. watching since she had moved in with Kagome, so that the bill wouldn't put her friend in the poor house. Tonight though, it seemed like a good time to do so.

When she stood up, the couch squeaked in protest. It seemed to whisper to her.

'No! Sit down, relax, put your feet up. This is why they invented remotes you know!'

She shook her head, mentally kicking herself for personifying a couch. The sickness must have spread into her cranium.

Sango bent over slightly, and hopped back a little as she felt the static travel into her fingertip. The T.V. flickered on, and the colors blinded her temporarily.

Her eyes squinted at the barrage of images, and so when her vision became normal, they traveled to the left of the television set in an effort to escape further damage.

'What the…?'

There, bored into the wall of their apartment, was a neat little hole.

Her mind attempted to wrap itself around a possible conclusion, but she had little success.

'Wait a minute! Didn't Kagome say something about….what was it? Mice- no rats!"

She studied the hole curiously.

'It's far too clean cut to be made by a rodent…hm…'

Sango moved closer to the open wound in the wall, her face pressed right against it. One of her pretty brown eyes stared straight into the hole, and she was shocked at what she saw.

There, right inside, was a deep blue gaze looking right into her eye.

And it didn't belong to any rat.

--

'Knock! Knock!'

The sharp pounding on Miroku's door confirmed his hypothesis that he was in a spot of trouble. He swallowed, feeling his cool fade fast.

Sure, he had been nailed by Kagome plenty of times…but this was a little different.

He considered Kagome as a sister of sorts- or rather…someone he knew was out of his reach. She had never really interested him in such a way. Never-the-less, why not take advantage of the valuable opportunities presented him by living so near to her.

Sango…

…the beautiful girl enveloped in an air of mystery.

She was a thrill to him; a puzzle for him to solve. It was a wonder he had befriended such blunt people as Inuyasha, or such passionate people as Kagome, when he longed for someone whom he couldn't quite understand.

Miroku knew that there was something behind that utterly romantic disinterest in him. No one had to tell the gym teacher that she had known great pain.

He thought back to their meeting at the animal shelter…just before the suds fight began.

-

-

Sango seemed bored as she grabbed one towel after another from on top of the washing machine in the cramped quarters of the shelter. Hanging on coat racks were leashes, worn dog collars, and other standard items for pets. The little hallway was cluttered with dirty towels, and Miroku had to watch his step as he wandered towards the assistant leader of the Miko Scouts.

"How's it going?"

Although she had heard him coming, she only now turned her face up to meet his.

"Fine, fine," she doubled the phrase, as if to remind herself that that was how she felt.

"That's good," Miroku pretended he hadn't seen the lack of confidence in her reply.

Sango continued folding the towels, choosing to ignore his presence in the room. He studied her carefully- his mind travelling over the pathways of the human identity.

"So…read any good books lately?"

She immediately ceased towel-folding, and with a sigh, turned to face him.

At first, he thought she would be irritated with his persistence…but those feelings dissolved when he saw the gentle smile playing on her face.

"Do you want to talk with me that badly?"

He grinned.

"Nothing gets past you, eh?"

Sango crossed her arms, arching her brows.

"Well, I used to be cop. I guess you could say old habits die hard."

"Uh-oh," Miroku murmured, "I haven't behaved myself at all." He walked right up to her, and looked deep into her eyes mischievously. She blushed, darting her glance away.

"Watch it you lecher. Just because I've taken my time about arresting you, doesn't mean I won't someday." The woman warned, her hand at the ready in case he decided to get fresh.

"Oh really? I thought it was just because you're secretly in love with me."

He leaned closer, until the distance between their faces was barely visible.

She shut her eyes, face contorted in an emotion he couldn't read.

"I just can't take you seriously!"

Miroku stopped his advance on a dime, ears ringing with the sound of her rejection.

"What-?"

"Do you honestly feel anything for me? Or am I just another female with two legs you can chase after for absolutely no good reason?"

He was silent.

She just stared at him, waiting for a reply.

For once…he didn't have a clear answer.

And when he didn't respond, she merely shook her head, dismissing the severity.

"I'm sorry Miroku…but I can't deal with this right now. And I think you know why…"

"Sango-," Miroku began, his hand extending in an effort to reach her own.

Suddenly, the sounds of screaming children erupted into the room.

"What the-?"

-

--

The chill of the air forced through the doors enticed a domino effect of goose-bumps along the exposed areas of Sango's skin. She involuntarily shivered, and was instantly warmed when she let pent-up anger run through her veins.

The woman tapped her foot, annoyed that Miroku should cause such an annoyance.

"And now he's not even _man_ enough to answer for his crimes?!" she grumbled, pulling at the pink scarf draped pitifully around her neck.

Right now, she could have been resting on the couch, enjoying the solitude of sickness. Her eyelids felt heavy and heated, and it wouldn't have hurt her to relax- in an effort to calm and squelch the fever that had begun to settle down comfortably inside her body.

She heaved a sigh, ready to give up. Giving a last glare at the door, she turned on her heels, prepared to leave.

The door creaked open slowly.

Before she could take the first step, an onslaught of synthesized trumpets hit her full force. The jazzy sound was akin to what one might hear in a candy shop on Valentine's Day…and it was horribly out of season.

Intrigued by his intentions, Sango turned around slowly, a pained expression of anticipation thrown on her face.

There he was, in all the flamboyance of the music, looking quite appropriate. It was dark behind him- all of his lights were turned off, but the flicker of candles made his blue eyes dance. He was wearing a black suit that any other man might have worn to work, with a matching pair of black pants. He wore a plain, starchy white shirt beneath it- and four of the buttons were undone on the top. Most notably of course was the fake flower positioned between his teeth.

Miroku raised his brows seductively.

Sango just stood there, stiff as a stick.

He then gracefully took the plastic piece of flora from his mouth, holding it out at her dramatically.

"How may I be of service to you, my fair Sango?"

Still, she only stood there, her frame quivering slightly.

"Well, aren't you speechless?" Miroku grinned in delight. "I've really just begun. If you'd like to come inside-!"

"Hm-hmmm-hmah-hmaah-ha-ha-aha-aha-aha-HA-AHA-AHA-AHA-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!"

What began as a chuckle thundered into a mighty burst of laughter.

"Wha- why are you…?"

"It's just- hmff-hm-hmm-hmah-ha-AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!" she tried to explain with little success.

--

"Don't look so crushed!" Sango chuckled, accepting a warm mug of coffee from her slightly ruffled host. She took a small sip, so that the hot contents of the cup wouldn't cause her to choke in front of Miroku.

When she once again directed her attention to him, she noticed just how much he had wilted.

"You weren't serious were you?" She followed her question with another delicate swallow.

He smiled. "No, but it's never a good sign when a beautiful woman laughs at you on the first date."

Sango nearly gagged.

"D-date?! I'm here to give you a piece of my mind you lecherous creep!"

"Oh," Miroku began, "I'd almost forgotten. I suppose you'll want me to work on patching that little crack in the paint up as soon as possible?"

"I wouldn't quite call it a crack. That makes it sound like it was an accident." Sango responded curtly, staring at the subject of their discussion.

He chuckled, albeit with a tinge of nervousness.

"No, seriously, I'll get it fixed shortly. See? You have nothing to worry about!"

His cheerful exclamation slid off her like rain off an umbrella.

"Oh, really? When I know I'll see it later, in a more convenient location? Like in the bathroom, per say?"

'_That's a good idea!'_ he thought to himself, making a mental note.

"Whatever. Thanks for the coffee." She commented absently, realizing her visit was probably a pointless endeavor. After all, she could only imagine how many times Kagome had traveled to his apartment door in vain, trying to get him to reform his ways.

'_For him to do that would require a change in __**character**__,'_ she thought, amusedly. Suddenly, the room became blurred and out of focus. Shifting on the couch, Sango waited for things to grow still once again. It was then that she remembered the time.

"Wow! I should go…thanks. And get the wall fixed soon, lecher."

"No problem. Sango-!"

She wobbled as her legs became unsteady. The edges of the room were shadowed, and her head began to throb in time with her heart beat.

"Woah…" the woman collapsed onto the couch. Miroku was at her side in a second.

"Sango? Sango! What's wrong?" he probed worriedly, lifting her gently so that she found support in his arms.

"I'm just a little…ugh…"she breathed, "…sick."

Miroku felt a pang of guilt as he noticed how Sango began to pale. He hadn't the slightest idea how he had missed the tell-tale indicators of sickness.

She coughed a little, and after clearing her throat she spoke.

"You didn't know I was sick?" she questioned.

"Well, you always look so radiant, I couldn't have begun to guess," he mentioned chivalrously.

"Stop it! You're such a leh-eh- hach!" The woman coughed mid-lecture. Miroku's face grew evermore concerned, and he reached out a gentle hand to pat her on the back. Once she had composed herself, she decided the pervert deserved her thanks.

"Tha-than-wah?"

No sooner had she begun to speak than his patting hand began to rub her back…and then traveled lower.

_BAM!_

--

"Was that really necessary?"

Kagome held back all of her frustration merely due to the fact that Kohaku was right behind her. The boy was smiling, an activity to which he scarcely devoted himself.

Inuyasha had given them a ride home, and the experience had been less than enjoyable.

The half-demon in front of her blushed heavily, though she couldn't see it.

"The damn theme music was making my head throb! What else was I supposed to do, huh?!"

He turned to face them, frustration ebbing from his entire composition.

The Miko Scout Troop Leader rolled her coy brown eyes.

"Oh? I thought you threw popcorn at the screen because you were scared to see what made the noises that little boy heard in the forest!"

Her accusation hit him dead on, and he focused on her form with a defiant glare.

"Guess what, Inuyasha. It wasn't the robber- it was the boy's _dog_. His _dog_ was in the bushes."

Now he was flustered.

"How was I supposed to know anyway?!" he defended weakly.

Kagome shook her head. They had already made it up to her apartment, and she was preparing to open the door.

It was then that she picked up sounds of feminine protest coming from inside.

"Miroku cut it out! I'm tired of playing these little games of yours! Not _there_, _there_. Now look, you missed!"

The young teacher blushed like she never had before. She turned to look at Kohaku, who didn't understand the cause of her discomfort. Inuyasha seemed oblivious, still lost in his thoughts.

Should she open the door…and expose everyone to the scene which was probably unfolding just behind the slap of polished wood?

'_I will,'_ she decided firmly. _'If they wanted to…well, then they shouldn't have come to this apartment!'_

Kagome whipped the key from her purse.

'_Here goes nothing…'_

--

"Now look, you missed!"

Sango sighed in frustration. Miroku kept drilling nails into the wrong spots on the wall. And she could tell he was doing it on purpose.

"The landlord is going to have your neck for this, lecher…" Sango muttered. "In fact, I'm surprised he hasn't busted you already."

Miroku smiled fondly.

"The _landlady_ is quite understanding, I can assure you."

The ex-cop shuddered.

"You're shameless." She whispered.

He chuckled. "I thought you liked them that way."

She blushed, and not entirely from her fever either.

"Lucky for-!"

_WHOOSH!_

--

Kagome chuckled nervously.

'_So that's what you were doing…'_

--

Inuyasha stared out into the shadowed parking lot of the apartment complex.

He had decided not to bother coming in.

'_And Kagome says I'm clueless…'_ he thought amusedly. The half-demon had heard what Sango had been saying, and decided not to chance it.

'_Sick my ass…he just wanted to screw around with Sango!'_

"Why are you out here, Inuyasha? Aren't you chilly?"

Kagome's kind voice drifted towards his ears. Her scent touched his nose.

"Nah! Why would I be?!" he responded with a harsh tone.

She looked at her feet for a long time. But the half-demon knew the ground couldn't possibly be _that_ interesting.

He thought quickly, "Uh…I'm, uh, sorry. I didn't…I didn't mean to yell at you."

Kagome smiled up at him. "I know."

They stared into each other's eyes for a long time, without even meaning to as the seconds escaped into the night air.

The half-demon felt an odd warmth that welled up inside of him, and for a moment he was afraid. His thoughts floated back to his days with Kikyo. The days he thought would last forever…

And now, here she was, this girl who was so akin to her, and yet so different.

If anything ever happened to her…

The immense desire he had to protect this silly, odd…_special_ young woman enveloped his intentions.

After all, she had accepted him without so much as a doubt on her constantly smiling face.

He noticed her soft black hair drifting wildly about her shoulders. She couldn't suppress a shiver of discomfort as the cold nature of October entered her limbs.

"Here…" Inuyasha whispered gently. He slid off his red leather jacket, and carefully draped it across her shoulders. She looked at him, surprised.

Then she smiled.

"Thank you, Inuyasha."

"Yeah, well your flimsy human skin needs it a hell of a lot more than I do." He commented with a smirk.

"So this was officially a date, then?" Kagome joked.

"Wha-what?! D-date…no, no, n-noooo!!" Inuyasha floundered about for a reply.

"Speaking of which, I think we have one with your brother and a little girl named Rin tomorrow, if I remember correctly…" she reminded.

"Damn!" he cursed, scratching an imaginary itch on his head.

"Oh no! Inuyasha….?"

"What now?!"

"Remember how you gave Kohaku and I a lift home?"

"Yeah, what of it?"

"Well…I drove myself to the movie night."

Silence played her delicate interlude…

"…"

"WHAT?!"

---

HAPPY 2009!!!

HI EVERYBODY I'VE MISSED YOU ALL SO MUCH!!! It's been what, like 5 months!!!! Holy Cow!!!!

And...guess what...

Today is the ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY of when I posted the very first chapter of How to Build a Fire!! Happy Cinco de Mayo my wonderful readers! :)

The story's come such a long way.... (now half of you are probably wondering how we've come very far if Inuyasha/Kagome and Miroku/Sango still haven't kissed...or even hugged yet!)

Don't worry guys, I'm an absolute sucker for fluff! I'm just trying not to take it too fast...:D. Hang in there!!

Now:

First of all, I would like to offer my humblest apologies. Where should I start? Believe it or not, I started writing this here chapter in December (I was even writing on New Years Eve :D) and then a few things happened.

On February 5, my grandmother passed away. I was staying home from school (I was sick), and my mom woke me up with a cell phone in her hand. My father preceded to tell me through his tears that she had suffered a heart attack. It was such an unexpected shock. So, we packed our bags and drove to Maryland on the same day, and then we drove to New York.

I'm not using my grandmother's passing as an excuse, but it was such an emotional rollercoaster. I miss her so much...

Sorry for mushing and gushing about the details...you guys are the best!

After getting back of course, I had tons of make-up work to do. And after that the work just didn't decrease. Oh- and I was in a play...:)

So to make a long story short, it's been one thing after another since February. All I can say is I'm soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo happy to be back and I'm sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo sorry I kept you all waiting!

Please let me know if there's anything I can improve upon, or if I made any huge grammar mistakes, or if something was confusing, or if there's something you think I'm missing in the story, or, most especially, if the characters were OoC (my biggest pet peeve :D)!

Or, please write me a review just to say 'hi'! Let me know if there are certain things I write that you like so I can keep doing it!

I love hearing from you all, and I've missed all of you, my fanfiction friends! If you read this whole thing, bless you. You have amazing patience! Applause for y'all!

Thank you all so much, and I promise that you won't have to wait 5 whole months for the next chapter (maybe 4 and a half, but not 5. You have my word).

Good luck with all your exams, and stay focused! Do your homework (yes, I'm sure you have something :D).

You guys are the coolest squared! :)

Have a GREAT Day!

Byebee:3

TohrutheGreat


	19. Chapter 19: A New Battle?

I HAVE RETURNED!

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha...but I do own the world. Which, is better. Maybe.

---

The hotel lobby was nearly empty, save for the few employees who decided to exploit their night owlish natures to get a good paycheck. There was a dark, wine red carpet just past the automatic doors that marked the hotel's entrance and brassy gold seemed to garnish every railing, fireplace, and table. Needless to say, the home-away-from-home had an outstanding reputation; four and half stars…nearly five. The person manning the desk was so absorbed in a gripping novel at his post, that he almost missed the well-dressed man who entered with a dignified air in his step.

The guest strode towards the desk, sunglasses adorning his face despite the fact that such an accessory was horribly out of season in late autumn. He had long, wavy brown hair that would have been regarded as greasy were it not for the expensive tastes present in his wardrobe. The man wore what looked to be a brand new suit; the cufflinks seemed to be of real gold. Even his shoes had recently been shined to an ungodly perfection. There was a cane on his arm, for fashion purposes only.

"Can I help you?" the man at the desk asked politely, hiding his book skillfully.

"Mm…I believe I made a call here earlier. I don't suppose you'd remember?" the guest noted, looking at the elegant watch on his wrist.

"Forgive me Sir, your call must have come before I started my shift," the employee admitted, slightly embarrassed.

"Well, it can't be helped. I called earlier to ask if I might look at a few of your meeting rooms. I've heard that this hotel is known for its exquisite hosting abilities."

"Oh…actually, you see…" the worker began, wondering how to tell the man that he wouldn't be allowed to do so at such an hour.

The man smiled. "Excuse me," the guest took notice of the employee's nameplate, "Mr. Yoshida, it was my mistake, I shall return at a more convenient hour."

"No, no, no! It was our fault for not taking note of your call," Mr. Yoshida apologized. "Shinichiro!"

One of the workers who had been picking up silverware from the tables in the dining area stopped what he was doing, and came to the desk.

"Yes, Akio?"

"Will you please take our guest…uh," Akio Yoshida realized he hadn't gotten the gentleman's name.

"How rude of me, my name is Kagewaki Hitomi," the guest offered.

"Will you please take our guest Mr. Hitomi up to some of our meeting rooms. He's interested in seeing them for himself."

Shinichiro eyed his charge warily; they normally weren't allowed to do this. But, Mr. Yoshida had been working at the hotel long before he had started, and he had higher status. Therefore, this must have been acceptable.

"Yes, Sir. Come right this way Mr. Hitomi…"

As the two walked away, Mr. Yoshida noticed the guest taking special care to turn his face to the side whenever they encountered a security camera.

"How odd…" he commented. Pulling out his book, he pondered the man's actions for a few minutes, before he was wrapped up in pages and the smell of stories.

--

"Here you go, one for you…and one for you…"

Kagome cheerfully passed around the latest batch of Miko Scout patches to the young girls who sat quivering with excitement in their desks.

"Did I forget anyone?" she asked, still quite a few pieces of fabric in her hands.

When no one indicated that they had been forgotten, the Miko Scout Troop Leader went to the front of the classroom. She picked up a stub of chalk and began to write on the blackboard.

'_Canned Food Drive Next Week…'_

Kagome turned to face them, her Miko sash turning with her.

"Now, next week we'll be having a canned food drive. So what that means is I would like each of you to go home and find something like a can of soup or a canned vegetable that we can give to the local homeless shelter. They really need our help so that they can feed all of the people staying there, and this is something I know everybody can do!"

The Miko Scouts looked excited, thinking about what they had in their cabinets and pantries at home. Their task seemed simple enough, and they enjoyed the idea of being able to make way for other food items…like cookies and candy.

"And one more thing before you go," the Miko Scout Troop Leader began, "This coming weekend, we're all going to go to the homeless shelter and serve breakfast to all of the people who live there."

The girls didn't look thrilled; feeding people didn't seem nearly as fun as washing animals and watching their Miko Scout Troop Leader fight with Inuyasha, the Youkai Scout Troop Leader.

"Oh- and you know who else will be with us? The Youkai Scout Troop #50! You'll all be working together," Sango, the Assistant Troop Leader noted.

"Yeah!" the Miko Scouts cheered. They always had even more fun when the Youkai Scouts were there.

Kagome shuddered.

'_Inuyasha…'_

She wondered what would go wrong. It seemed that whenever she and the half-demon were together, they acted almost as polar magnets. Suffice it to say, at the end of the day they usually appeared more child-like than their scouts, and that was never a good thing.

"Now, we'll need one parent volunteer…so I'd like you all to-," Kagome began, but she was silenced when Rin raised her hand in a way that was less than subtle. "Yes, Rin?" she ventured.

"Lord Sesshomaru will do it!"

The Miko Scout Troop Leader blinked. "Are you sure…? Maybe you should ask him first…"

"No! He'll do it!"

Kagome didn't know how Rin was going to convince her stone-cold guardian to volunteer out of kindness, but the little girl had gotten him to come to the animal shelter, so…

"Well…alright! Please let me know if he, uh...changes his…"

"He won't!" Rin's confidence silenced all of Kagome's further attempts to affirm Sesshomaru's involvement in their project.

"That concludes our meeting! Remember this Sunday: be at the school by seven-thirty. Sango and I will drive you to the homeless shelter, so don't worry about directions. Don't forget: _seven-thirty_. We'll take care of the rest."

--

"…and don't forget Inuyasha, the Miko Scouts of Troop #15 will be joining us on Sunday!"

The Youkai Scouts grinned from ear to ear. This was great! Now they could continue their suds fight of two months ago. Movie night hadn't presented such an opportunity, but there was so much throwing potential in eggs and bowls of miso soup…

"W-what?! Since when did they decide to tag along?!" Inuyasha slammed his fist on his desk, looking back at Miroku, who was writing on the board, and who had had the pleasure of breaking the news to a temperamental half-demon.

"Since Sango invited _us_. _We're_ tagging along," the gym teacher answered calmly.

Inuyasha hadn't ceased glaring; even the scouts sensed the tension. They didn't even dare to laugh…

Miroku began to sweat. "W-why so glum? You know, Kagome will be there…" he hinted.

"K-Ka-Kagome? Why would that ch-cheer me up you dumbass!" the half-demon barked.

The scouts chuckled, nudging each other and pointing at the blush that stained Inuyasha's face.

"Oh, no reason," Miroku shrugged with a grin. As Inuyasha cooled down, the gym teacher turned to the board and began to write down the time at which the scouts would assemble at the school on the coming Sunday.

'_They'll be begging us to leave…'_

_--_

You're all probably saying, "That's it?", right? And I'm saying, "Yeah, I'm sorry...forgive me!"

I know this chapter was pretty short, but the next one will be three times as long, I promise! The scouts are going to do community service...so you know the next chapter will be chalk-full of action, adventure, and romance (?)!

So, I'd like to apologize to everyone who's been reading my story, because you all have put up with me through a lot of delayed updates. I actually started this chapter a few months ago, and planned to make it longer, but at the end of the summer I had to schedule in some major surgery. It was completely unexpected, and there was no other time I could fit it in.

That said, all of a sudden, as you can imagine school started, and I've been working on a boatload of make-up work in addition to normal assignments, so my free time has been a little compromised.

I feel terrible that it's taken so long, and I hope to get the next chapter up in December. Thank you so much for being patient! :)

You all are the best squared, and I can't tell you how much your support and reviews mean to me. You all are helping me to become a better writer, and you make me smile at the same time :).

Please leave a review to let me know how you liked it, and also how I can improve, because I write for **_YOU_**. Yes, you. Yep, you with the eyes, the nose, and the body.

Thank you for reading this story, and I wish you the best in your writing endeavors!

You all are AMAZING!!! :)

Have a great day!

Byebee:3

TohrutheGreat


	20. Chapter 20: The Price

Better late than never, oui?

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha...at this time. :)

--

"Homeless shelter?"

Kagome stabbed a piece of steak passionately, each raven hair on her head brought to life by the tension in the room. The rest of her body remained frozen, and she didn't bother to bring the expensive morsel to her lips.

Inuyasha, on the other hand, was aggressively shoveling rice and assorted meats into what had to be the most troublesome part of his body. It seemed as though the current situation was having a limited, if any, effect upon him.

Rin grinned up at Sesshomaru, resting her head in her hands, elbows digging into the table. She waited quasi-patiently, kicking her legs lightly beneath the table.

"Why would you…go there?" Sesshomaru asked, a partially skeptical light in his golden eyes.

As charming as the dog demon's pauses could be, they just put Kagome closer to the edge of her seat. The last thing she wanted was for Rin to be banned from helping that Sunday.

"Because it'll be fun! We get to feed people who don't have money!"

The child's blunt way of putting it seemed to soften the wealthy demon, and he broke his intense stare, turning his attention back to the plate of untouched food before him.

"…fine. You may go."

"Thank you-," Kagome piped up in a manner that nearly seemed as though it had been rehearsed.

The noises of Inuyasha slurping tearing his food apart in his fangs interrupted her expression of gratitude, and she shot him a mean look.

That shut him up.

"Are you going…as well?"

Sesshomaru directed the question to his brother, who managed to swallow all that he had been masticating after Kagome gave him the glare.

"Feh, course! It was the _Youkai _Scouts' idea to go there in the first place!"

The Miko Scout Troop Leader's eyes glittered.

"Your idea?"

"Yeah, my idea. You all are just tagging along!"

"Why would I want to spend a whole day with you? Maybe you wanted to spend the day with me!"

"W-why the hell would I be that cruel to myself, idiot?!"

Rin smiled cheerfully; this was nothing new.

"Ugh! You're so tiring!"

"Am not!"

"The shoe fits, Cinderella!"

"Does not! Shut up, Kagome! How dare you call me that!"

"Well, honestly! Sometimes you act like you're-!"

The two were now in each other's faces; Sesshomaru watched them with a bored but calculating look.

"Uh…I'm going to…go to the bathroom. Excuse me?" Kagome slowly pushed herself from the half-demon, and did a little bow of her head before rushing out of the dining room.

Inuyasha's face was tinged with red…from anger or embarrassment, it was impossible to tell. His ears were back slightly, and were it not for the odd look in his amber gaze, he would have looked much like a child. Sesshomaru had realized it long ago; the first time his little brother had brought the woman to dinner, he had suspected just what her value was to the immature half-demon.

Rin began to whistle conspicuously, glee on her young face. She looked as though she knew the best secret in the whole world.

"Say, Lord Inuyasha…?"

"Y-yeah?"

"Why don't you just tell Ms. Kagome that you're hopelessly in love with her and that the only reason you fight is because you love it when she pays attention to you?"

"Gah-I-I-I-I-I, listen you-! I, I, uh…!" he slammed his fist on the table, adamantly trying to negate her accusations.

"Yeah…?" she asked sweetly, smiling at him from across the marble table.

"You-you…wouldn't understand! What do you know about love?! I don't l-love Kagome! I…I, uh…tolerate her! I really can't stand the woman!"

"You are pathetic, Little Brother."

Sesshomaru lifted his glass, swirling the contents as he waited for the half-demon's stutter of opposition.

"What the-?!"

"Exactly," he replied.

"You should take her to dinner with you!" Rin piped up, swinging her legs at a faster pace. "Women love that!"

"That's a stupid idea!" he growled, standing up from the table.

"And where are you going?" Sesshomaru asked in a manner that still maintained a disinterest in the matter.

--

"You want me…to go to dinner with you?"

"That's not what I said! I said Miroku bailed out on me, and I still want to eat…"

He heard her chuckle from behind the bathroom door.

"Well, my jokes aren't as good as Miroku's…"

"So?"

"…and I'm not as charming as Miroku…"

"So?!"

"…and I don't have as inexpensive a taste as Miroku…"

"Dammit! Are you coming or not?!"

"Psst, Inuyasha…come closer to the door…"

The half-demon sighed angrily, but he complied, sticking his ear against the painted wood.

"That was woman-speak for 'of course I'll have dinner with you.'"

--

"Why'd you order lobster?!"

"You said you would pay…"

They were standing in front of the restaurant; a cute little place in walking distance of her apartment that served renowned seafood at prices that were more or less at the apex. Of course, Kagome had ordered the epitome of pricey foods they served, and of course, he had paid it.

"…besides, I shared it with you."

She smiled at him, and in the light all of her annoying attributes were overshadowed by her appearance. The woman wore a black dress with long sleeves and had her long, obsidian hair pulled into a high pony-tail. Her warm brown eyes sparkled merrily, and he felt his heart rate pick up.

"Feh! Whatever! It still means I'll have to walk to the school for a whole damn month!"

"I'll make it up to you, Inuyasha."

He crossed his arms. "Yeah? How?"

She walked right up to him, and before he could think about what she planned to do, she touched her lips to his tanned cheek.

He was frozen.

Kagome giggled as she saw the blush strike up color on his face.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Inuyasha. Thanks for dinner!"

And with that, she ran from him, down the street crowded with people.

'_Kagome…?'_

--

She didn't even see him; the alleyway was tucked back a little ways, and he had hidden in the darkness with an air of great practice.

A hand reached out and yanked her in, proceeding to cover her mouth before pulling her deeper into the darkness.

"I saw you…"

He dragged her back. "I saw you with that half-breed, going into the restaurant."

Kagome's eyes widened. _'I have to get away…'_

"Little whore!" the man shoved Kagome against the wall, pinning her wrists above her head. She flailed uselessly against him, trying to kick him, but he stepped on her feet to keep her still.

Tears filled her eyes as he pressed all his weight against her.

"Why're you screwing around with the likes of a half-breed, eh?! Human men ain't good enough for you?!" he spat.

"Get away from me!" she yelled viciously.

"Not until I teach you a little lesson…" he slapped her cheek and she screamed in pain. "I'll show you what it's like to lie with a man…"

"Shut up!" she spat before he slapped her face yet again. She glared into his eyes, but he wouldn't let go. He was really going to do it.

One of his dirty hands slid behind her back- he went for her zipper.

"Inuyasha!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, closing her eyes as his hand readied to belt her swollen cheek.

"INUYASHA!!"

--

Inuyasha smiled a little as he bumped into people left and right who were traveling in the opposite direction. The streets were alive with bright lights, and he felt as though he was in a trance. His golden eyes danced in the darkness; she had kissed his cheek!

A clawed hand reached up to rub the precious spot, and he became aware of nothing else but the warmth it transferred to his fingers.

'_Kagome…'_

His heart began to pound as he replayed the scene; the spontaneous act had been done without hesitation. Her lovely brown eyes had laughed when she saw how embarrassed he became, and the smile she gave him was enough to make him forget the fact that she had ordered the most expensive thing on the menu. It was enough to make him forget a lot of things…

'…_how do you do this to me?'_

He almost thought he hadn't heard it when the distant scream hit one of his pointed ears. The half-demon paused in the middle of the street, ignoring the shoves as he concentrated.

'_Was that…?'_

And then he heard it again…louder.

Kagome was in trouble.

--

He leaned in to kiss her, his eyes glittering lustily in the darkness of the alley. She wouldn't let him.

The woman spat in his face before his lips had assaulted her own. He withdrew for a moment; just enough time to run…had he not kept hold of one of her wrists. She struggled to get away- but he yanked her back roughly. Spinning her around, he slammed her against the pavement passionately.

"Bitch!" he roared, ripping the sleeves from her dress.

He was going to take her.

Kagome shut her eyes, doing her best not to cry. She wouldn't give him that satisfaction.

"GET OFF OF HER."

Her eyes shot open, and she could see Inuyasha, claws poised, directly behind the man.

"What the-?!" he turned around. "Half-breed, eh? Come to take back your woman?"

He laughed cruelly before turning back to Kagome.

"Tell you what, you can watch. See how she likes it, you dirty half-dog!"

She whimpered.

"How do you like that?! It takes a real man to hold a girl-aaah!"

Inuyasha ripped the attacker from Kagome, and held him up by the shirt.

"You're no man," he growled, his golden eyes boring into the assaulter's vision. "And how dare you…you BASTARD!"

The half-demon slammed the man into the wall repeatedly, and Kagome could only watch as each time more blood dripped onto the cement. She had to stop him.

"Inuyasha, please…!"

He continued. "HOW DARE YOU! HOW DARE YOU HURT HER!"

"Please…" she pleaded again, struggling to stand. "Don't kill him…"

"HE DESERVES TO DIE…" Inuyasha shoved him harder, and the man grew more and more limp with each thrust.

"INUYASHA, PLEASE!" she screamed, clutching the opposite wall, tears running down her cheeks.

The smell of her tears stopped him cold.

"Let him go…" she begged. "He can't hurt me anymore…"

The man in Inuyasha's clutch began to struggle, inhaling a ragged breath.

"Spare me…!" he choked, fresh blood landing on the pavement. The half-demon yanked him on his feet so that their eyes met.

"You're lucky she's merciful. If she had asked me to cut your heart from your chest…I would have given it to her still beating."

The man shuddered. "T-thank-!"

Inuyasha slapped the man. "DON'T YOU DARE SPEAK TO HER. GET OUT OF HER SIGHT."

He wasted no time in darting out of the alley- he would have gotten farther were it not for the rival gang members who caught him first.

Kagome smiled weakly at the man who had saved her life.

"Thank you…" she breathed, still clinging to the wall.

His stone-like eyes looked her up and down; he looked as though he had been the one slammed against the wall repeatedly.

"Kagome…he…"

"…you came. You heard me…thank y-!"

She collapsed to the ground, her wet eyes spilling.

"Kagome!"

Inuyasha rushed to her, pulling her into his arms gently. She leaned her head against his shoulder, letting out a few gasps.

"…thank you…"

"Shh…" he whispered into her ear. "I'm taking you home."

--

Inuyasha poured tea a bit clumsily into a mug from the cabinet. Sango wasn't back yet, and Kohaku was still at the movies. He had no idea where Miroku was, but he'd be damned if he left Kagome in the care of that lecher.

The young woman sat on the couch, bandages on her puffy cheeks. She seemed to be recovering…but there was still an injured look in her eyes. He tightened his fist around the kettle.

"Thank you, Inuyasha. You didn't have to do all this for me…" she whispered as he brought the mug to her. He didn't look well.

"Be quiet. Why the hell would I leave you?!"

Kagome cried a little; his tone of voice hurt more than her cheeks.

His eyes softened when he realized how he had come across.

"Kagome…"

The mug hit the floor.

He pulled her against him; she barely had time to think before he yanked her to his chest. His arms enveloped her whole body- one hand getting caught up in her ebony tresses, and the other pressing against her back to keep her as close as was possible. His cheek laid atop her head, and he inhaled her scent deeply before he pulled her to him even more tightly.

"Inuyasha…"

"Kagome…" he choked a little. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, because you were there," she answered, snuggling into his chest a little.

"It's my fault…if I hadn't been so stupid I would have gone with you…"

She felt him tremble.

"Don't…blame yourself, Inuyasha. You came as soon as you heard me scream. That's what matters to me."

The half-demon took in a strained breath, and she felt his chest vibrate slightly. Was he crying…?

"It's alright…I'm fine…" Kagome slowly brought her arms around his back, clasping him to her. Her eyes fluttered closed, and she snuggled her head below his chin. "It's because you were there…"

"If anything had happened to you…I would…" he blurted, not caring that his true feelings were about to surface.

"But nothing happened. You chased him away, Inuyasha. Thank you…"

"…" He said nothing, only attempting to hold her even closer to him…to keep her safe. "Kagome, why do you stay with me?"

"Why…? Because…"

'…_I'm in love with you.'_

_--_

Aaaaah!!! She said it...IN HER HEAD. THE FRUSTRATION.

So, I am going to have the homeless shelter thing- probably in the next chapter. It's just...their relationship hasn't been progressing as much as I would like it too, so I thought I should have a chapter where they get a little closer.

This was really sad- for How to Build a Fire- because it's so dark. How many times have I pulled a rapist who hates half-demons on you guys, eh? I felt like there needed to be a big incident that showed 'hey, not everyone is okay with half-demons' because so far Inuyasha's had pretty normal experiences.

This did feel a little rushed, but I hope it was okay. I know it doesn't seem like she would be at the point where she LOVES him yet, but I felt this would be a good time for her to realize it. As for Yasha-Dawg, eh...save the best for last, right? ;)

Anyway, I hope that you enjoyed this chapter! Please leave me a review- constructive criticism and things I did right really help me to improve the story. I would really appreciate it!

Thanks so much! You all are the best readers, and I'm so grateful for your putting up with me (can you believe this story is almost 2 years old?!?!?!)!

Have a great day!

Byebee:3

TohrutheGreat


	21. Chapter 21: Breakfast and the Final Plan

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha but he and I could write a bad romance. Oh-oh-oh~. I don't own that song either.

_**Chapter 21:**_

"How many eggs would you like with your miso?"

Kagome cheerfully complied with the man's request for two, plopping them onto the plate with the wrist of an amateur chef. She wiped the sweat from her brow, allowing her exhaustion to flash across her face in this moment of peace.

There was only so much the Miko Scouts could get done by themselves: every time they poured soup, flipped an egg, or turned the stove on, Sango and Kagome were there, ready to insure that the girls didn't burn themselves. They had thought it would be easier to manage the girls once Sesshomaru arrived, but his attention was entirely focused upon his charge, Rin. The Youkai Scouts were making a mess in the other kitchen, and between Miroku's flirtatious remarks and Inuyasha's snapping, the Miko Scout Troop Leaders were clinging desperately to the last, pathetic shreds of patience they had left.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Inuyasha.

"What are you talking about-?" she turned around to face the scowling half-demon. His shaggy silver hair seemed to stick out in all directions, as though the air around him was static. His golden eyes looked nearly bloodshot; she guessed that the stress of having to keep some dozen little boys from blowing up the shelter was a new and wretched experience for him.

"You let that guy have more than _one_ egg! That means we gotta' make even _more_!" his voice cracked on 'more' and his hand was twitching enthusiastically.

Kagome giggled. "That's all? From your yelling I would have thought I'd accidentally given that man my eyeballs."

"Might as well have! I'm gonna' lose _my_ eyeballs if those brats don't get out of the kitchen!"

"Well…why don't you have them wash dishes instead?" she suggested, turning back to the counter where a woman was waiting.

Kagome was startled by the lady waiting to eat. She had long brown hair done up into a bun on the top of her head, and her eyes were a smoldering red. That she was a demon did not surprise the Miko Scout nearly as much as the fact that she was wearing very expensive clothing and her skin was flawless and impeccably clean. Not even the neatest people in the shelter looked like they'd just had a facial.

"How can I help you?" she asked, ignoring Inuyasha's incessant rejections of her idea for them to wash dishes.

"Oh, nothing…it's just…"

Kagome saw her looking back into the kitchens. That wasn't what worried the Miko Scout Leader. The woman continued to stare, for minutes, Kagome was sure.

Inuyasha was beginning to have the same concerns.

"Hey lady, if you're not gonna' eat nothin', then scram! We've got other people to feed!"

The strange woman seemed snapped out of a trance.

"Excuse me," she snapped before slowly stepping away from the counter and making a bee-line for the nearest exit.

As soon as the door had slammed behind her, Kagome turned back to Inuyasha.

"What do you think…?" she asked quietly.

"Who knows. All sorts of crazies come in here. Ain't our problem," he dismissed the issue as though he were shooing away a fly.

"I'm sorry, Inuyasha. I guess I just can't seem to think straight about a lot of things, lately. I didn't know things like that could mess a person up so much…" she turned away from him, doing little to hide the slight tremble in her voice.

She felt two clawed hands land gently, but firmly, upon her shoulders.

"I'm here," he murmured, low but loud enough for only her to hear.

Kagome smiled softly and reached one of her hands over to place it atop his own. He didn't need to say anything more; she knew he would do whatever he could to help her.

"You always have been," she whispered as he stroked his thumb along her hand.

For a moment there was nothing in the world but the two of them, their hands a reflection of a lovers' embrace. He was her rock, her strength, and she was his light, his trust. The shelter was no five star restaurant, nor a beautiful park, nor a magnificent promontory, but to them it could have been…

"You sly dog, no pun intended, getting close to Kagome!"

…had there been no trouble-making witnesses.

"Miroku…!" Inuyasha growled as he ripped his hand away, a fresh blush staining his cheeks. Kagome looked at the ground, her own face as red as the sun on the Japanese flag.

Although they were making _some_ progress in their blooming relationship, Miroku's teasing was no less embarrassing.

"What? Can't a guy give his friend a little compliment every once in awhile? Oh, don't pay any attention to us, Kagome! He knows I'm just giving him a push in the right direction!"

"Shut up, or _I'll_ give _you_ a push out the window!"

"You don't mean that!"

Kagome laughed as the mark of her shyness faded away. She didn't turn around, even when she heard the sound of something breaking. Rather, she faced the elderly man who stood in front of the counter.

"What would you like, sir?" she asked cheerfully.

The man began to raise his pointer finger, but Kagome's attention was broken temporarily by the sound of another smash.

"Inuyasha! I didn't think you would actually do it! Stop it, you'll scare the people away! I'm sorry, sir, can you please repeat that?" she tried to extinguish her agitated air.

"B-behind…" the man pointed slowly behind her.

"Behind…?"

As Kagome turned her head she was promptly hit in the face with something cold and aromatic. It dripped down her face slowly, and once past her initial shock and disgust, she realized it was miso soup.

The shelter was silent as Kagome swiped her hand across her eyes, thankful that no one had thrown the actual _bowl_ at her. Immediately she beheld her little brother Sota, holding a ladle dripping with the same contents that covered her cheeks. He was frozen, and she could tell by the look on his face that he hadn't meant to hit _her_ but…

As things began to register once again, she took notice of the broken bowls of miso soup and a few Miko Scouts covered in the liquid. A couple of the Youkai Scouts had egg in their hair.

From this painfully clear evidence, she deduced that a food fight had been going on behind her back the entire time.

"INUYASHA!"

**(divider~)**

"For the last time, Kagome, how was I supposed to know what they were doing? Wasn't there someone back there with them?

"Apparently there wasn't!"

While the Youkai and Miko Scouts did not have the privilege of finishing their fight, they did have the pleasure of watching their Troop Leaders argue back and forth about who should take responsibility.

As Inuyasha had more or less explained it, he had taken Miroku by the collar of his shirt and was busy finding a place outside where he could beat the man senseless. Sango had seen the spectacle and followed so she could get a hit or two in. And of course, when Rin saw the parade, she had decided to tag along, and thus Sesshomaru was obligated to leave as well.

While everyone's behavior was immature, Kagome was convinced that if Inuyasha had just been a man from the start, nothing would have happened.

"Well, sorry! Next time I won't try to comfort you!" he snapped, though as soon as he said it he blushed.

"That's not the issue! Why can't we be, uh, nice to each other in public?"

"What the hell do you mean? I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Ugh! Sometimes Inuyasha…!"

Miroku and Sango were busy explaining to the man who ran the cafeteria on Sundays why there would be two less bowls than he had previously counted, and promising the necessary compensations. Despite his initial surprise, he thanked them anyway for their help and praised their work for the majority of the morning.

"Let's talk about this later, okay?" Kagome pleaded, now fully conscious of the twenty-some pairs of eyes trained upon their every action with the intention of being entertained.

"Later? In his apartment?"

"Miroku. You're a dead man!" Inuyasha roared, set on tearing the gym teacher to bits.

"Done and done," said Sango in a blasé tone after punching Miroku passionlessly in the gut. He quickly, and predictably, collapsed to the pavement.

"Will we ever get along?" Kagome asked no one in particular; maybe Tessaiga, Inuyasha's car.

As she got no comprehendible reply, she let her head fall lightly upon the rear view mirror, musing that she must have been the person least suited to lead Miko Scout Troop #15.

**(divider~)**

"Well, Kagura?"

The female demon in question took a seat in the chair farthest from her boss, relishing in the perpetual darkness of his quarters.

"Everyone's there: Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, and the woman who looks just like Kikyo."

"Isn't that nice? They're all working together. This will make everything smoother. Much smoother."

She listened to his icy fingers drumming on the wood of his desk, and she could just make out the sickening smirk spread across his pale face.

"Excuse me for questioning you," she began, though not repentant at all for doing such a thing, "But wouldn't it be more difficult if all four of them are in the same place? They won't let anything happen to their children, after all."

The moment of silence that followed caused her heart to pick up speed, and she clutched her chest a little as the stabbing pain overwhelmed her.

"Kagura, Kagura. This is why you depend upon me," he chuckled menacingly, "You haven't seen the big picture. If they're all there at one time, then I don't have to worry about anyone coming to lend a hand, and after all, if I know anything from observing, it's that that wretched half-demon scum Inuyasha wouldn't let me touch a hair on his woman's head. I wish I could have seen him beat the man I sent senseless, after he tried to rape poor, naïve, little Kagome. It's really too bad that the dumb wretch was nabbed by rival gang members before I could get the details. Still though, even if Inuyasha's affections for the girl weren't certain, the other woman, Sango cannot help but protect Miroku. She's much kinder than she let's on. So you see, Kagura, they would beg me not to hurt their loved ones, rather than fighting me with nothing to lose. Besides, don't tell me you've forgotten about the wild card in this operation?"

She grimaced.

"No, I haven't forgotten. But…there was a…a demon with her…" Kagura blushed slightly as she pictured the stunning silver-haired man standing in the kitchen, his deep golden eyes deadly and focused.

"Oh, do you mean Sesshomaru? Inuyasha's brother is even more pathetic than he is. He won't be a threat to us, not after she's been taken from him."

"Look, Onigumo-!"

"For the last time, Kagura, I don't go by that name anymore. They've figured it out," he leaned back in his chair. "Call me, Naraku."

"Alright, Naraku. Listen, this scheme had better work! We've lost Goshinki, Musou, and Hakudoshi, all thanks to your misguided plans!"

Naraku clenched his jaw.

"Kagura, do you still…want that heart?"

She swallowed; he smiled.

"Then you will do as I order without question. If you don't, well, there's not much I can do."

Kagura sighed, resigning herself to servitude for just a bit longer.

"Understood."

After the door was shut and she had departed into the night, he stood. Turning to the large window behind him, he jabbed his fingers between the blinds to allow but a glimpse of the moon to pierce him. His thoughts seemed impeccably coherent now, as he approached the day for which he had waited what felt like an eternity to accomplish.

"This is it, Inuyasha. Either you shall have the revenge you seek, or…"

His face contorted into a grin.

"…you will die trying."

_**AUTHOR NOTE**_

I'm Johann Sebastian BACH!

Haha, get it? I'm lame? What? Well, yeah, I guess you're right. :)

So, I FINALLY updated! It's been a really long time...I think it's been four months or something, which is WAY too long to go without a post or an explaination. I'm very sorry for the wait, and I hope you guys can forgive me! I'm so lucky that I have such patient and kind readers!

Now about the content of the chapter...if I were the one in charge of feeding at a homeless shelter, I would have reported them to the po-po. However, this is an innocent, sometimes very idealistic story, and it would be hard to resolve the plot if Inuyasha, Kagome, Miroku, and Sango were being sued and were banned from being involved with the scouts any longer! I'm really happy with the InuKag fluff in this chapter, as I don't think it'll give anyone a cavity, but I hope it made someone 'aww' or faint. Just kidding :). Anyway, Naraku is unveiled in this chapter OFFICIALLY (even though I know most of you -all of you probably- figured out long before now who he really was)! I'm so thankful that he is called by three different names in the show (that is just asking for aliases)! I hope I didn't give away TOO too much, but you all can probably tie up any ends that I might have left vague. I'm not good at plot twists, I'm afraid, but hopefully there'll be one or two things you didn't see coming. Also- I hope you guys appreciated my dog pun for this chapter (it seems like I have one in most chapters)! I'm very cheesy, I'm afraid! :) One more thing: I'm sorry about the 'divider' things. It's the only way I can figure out how to seperate sections, since dashs don't seem to register in this word document anymore...

Alright, so, plot aside, I have some really cool news about something that happened to me in May of this year. It is Inuyasha related, I promise!

This year I went to Animazement which is an anime convention in North Carolina (go Tarheels!), and every year they have special guests from the anime industry. Well, this year, they announced that Richard Ian Cox (Inuyasha's English voice actor) was going to attend and I just about fainted! But this story gets even better! Just about a month before the convention, they announced that Kappei Yamaguchi (Inuyasha's Japanese voice actor) would ALSO attend! I literally screamed my head off. Both actors AT THE SAME CONVENTION. I was lucky enough to see the panel that they did together with Noriko Hidaka (Kikyo's voice actress). It was also really cool because not only was this only the third convention that Mr. Yamaguchi had ever attended in the U.S.A, it was also the first time he and Mr. Cox had EVER MET! Historic convention, to be sure (in my book haha, as an Inuyasha fan). To get to the meat of the story, to get an autograph from Mr. Yamaguchi, you had to get in line for a ticket, and they only gave out about, 150 or 200 for the whole convention. By some miracle I managed to get one, and was blessed to be one of the only people to get an autograph from BOTH of Inuyasha's voice actors on the SAME DAY within two hours of each other!

Sorry for spazzing about that, but it was literally one of the most amazing experiences of my life (Mr. Yamaguchi allowed me to take a picture of him with my cell phone and he was nice enough to shake hands with me. He is such a kind person! Mr. Cox was nice to me too!) If there is a convention near you, email the people in charge and ask them to invite these guys! They're really cool! :)

Thank you for reading this inexcusably long author's note (and for putting up with my fangirly story), and thank you so much for reading How to Build a Fire! If this is your first go around reading it, I appreciate you for giving of your time and I hope you will continue reading :)! And if you're one of those readers who have been reading this story with its sporadic updates for one or two years, thank you so much for your continued support :)! You all mean so much to me, and I'm touched by all the reviews and favorites I've gotten for this story! You all make my day, and I'm so blessed to have some of the sweetest, nicest people on earth as my readers!

Please, leave me a review to let me know what you think: things you liked, things you thought could have been better, OoC-ness, etc. I love hearing from all of you, and if you haven't reviewed yet, please do so! It makes me really happy! :) :) :)

I will TRY to update again soon, but as I begin the college application process and prepare for my final year of high school, other things will probably take first priority. However, know that I won't stop writing this story. An update will come...eventually! ;)

Have a Great day, and I hope you liked this chapter!

Byebee:3

TohrutheGreat


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